Structurae

The 32.8 km long Koralm tunnel requires specific measures to guarantee a sufficient safety level. The methodology applied to define safety measures for this very long tunnel is on the one hand based on a set of guidelines and on the other hand based on the specific boundary conditions of this tunnel. These projectspecific conditions are considered by establishing customized safety targets. All aspects of safety are summarized in a specific tunnel safety concept.
As a result of an investigation into the construction and operating phase, the tunnel system was determined to consist of two single-track tunnels, an emergency station, cross-passages every 500 m and no crossover. The emergency station in the centre of the tunnel, which incorporates various considerations, was designed to accommodate staggered platforms and a combined refuge room with a length of 800 m. The physical structures of the emergency station (distance of escape tunnels, door configurations) were checked by application of an evacuation simulation. With a view to the incident management strategy to be adopted, characteristic operating scenarios were analysed to realistically reflect the sequence of events in case of an emergency.