This report compiles the results from the METRO project. The different parts of theproject – design fires, evacuation, integrated fire control, smoke control, extraordinarystrain onconstructions and fire- and rescue operations – are presented separately.
The most complicated and expensive part of the project was the performance of thelarge scale fire and explosion tests in the Brunsberg tunnel, where the maximum heatrelease rates measured from the metro wagon was 77 MW.
The main results from the project are new recommendations regarding design firesin mass transport systems, identification of key factors for fire and smoke spread in tunnelsand at stations as well as regarding the difficulties for disabled persons to evacuatefrom trains in tunnels, new recommended types of way guiding systems, safer design incase of explosions in trains and evaluation of the fire and rescue services’ possibilitiesand limitations in underground mass transport systems.
This report compiles the results of window explosion tests carried out as part of the METRO project by the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) and Mälardalens Högskola (MDH) in Shock Tube IV in Märsta, Sweden. 15 shots were made with varying distances between window and charge and varyingcharge weights.
The report describes the components and assembly of the tests and the results are presented in detail. It further questions the previous method of definingdanger zones, suggesting a new approach and gives ideas to improve further similar tests.
The paper presents a comparison between numerical modeling and explosion tests in model scale and full scale involving underground/commuter train carriages. The full-scale test was performed in an abandoned Swedish railway tunnel in September 2011. Relevant geometries and construction models of the metro carriage were exposed to closely controlled design explosions in the model scale experiments. The characteristics of the blast waves were measured at different locations. The final design of the full scale experiment was chosen based on the experiences from the model scale tests. The subjects studied were uncased explosive charges and their blast wave effects in the present complex geometry and the consequences on the structures. The results from the full scale test, the corresponding model scale tests and the numerical modelling work were compared and analyzed.
This report is a literature review which summarizes performed fire and explosion tests in tunnels and underground enclosures. Relevant pictures and graphs have been inserted from the papers reviewed, to illustrate the test settings and the results.
The report also gives a brief introduction to the subject itself. Questions that stillneed to be answered are identified and discussed. Furthermore it includes useful tablesto compare the most common computer modelling and finite element codes AUTODYN, EUROPLEXUS and LS-DYNA used for calculation of blast load and construction response.