• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.6 s.59
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• pp.452-461
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• 2005

In a bidirectional tunnel, the accident rate is 1.5 times as high as that of one directional tunnel , the risk of a fire is increased. On fire, there is a problem that the jet fan should not be operated until completion of refuge. To be special, as the great damages occur owing to the expansion of smoke in long tunnels, there is a need to minimize fatality by constructing cross passage and smoke removal system. This study aims at verifying the efficiency of smoke exhaust system through fire propagation simulation as well as scale model test. The results show that completion of escape through emergency exit requires 335 seconds, while addition of smoke exhaust system reduce the escape time to 185 seconds. Also, near the fire source temperature decreased by about $60^{\circ}C$. Without the exhaust system, fire propagation speed was in the range of 0.36 and 0.82 m/s, and it dropped to $0.27\~0.58\;m/s$ with the exhaust system on. Taking into account the escape speed of tunnel users, usually $0.7\~1.0\;m/s$, the emergency exit built every 150m is sufficient for the safe egress. The ultimate goal of this study is to provide fundamental information for the smoke exhaust system in bidirectional tunnels.