The two-way Gotthard tunnel, a main traffic axis which links north and south Europe, can carry up to 1,000 vehicles an hour. At 16.9 km long, it is one of the longest road tunnels in the world. In October 2001 two trucks collided head-on in the Gotthard in what was one of the worst ever road accidents in the country. Since then, around CHF50 million a year has been spent on improving tunnel safety in Switzerland and officials are keen to avoid another deadly fire.
The federal roads office (OFROU) will pilot an anti-fire device, known as a hotspot detector, at the north side of the tunnel. The trial starts at the end of this year. The pilot phase is scheduled to run for at least a year at a cost of CHF350,000.
This system enables the police to locate possible causes of vehicle fires such as the engine or tyres overheating. Last year around 14 vehicles were recorded as emitting smoke or being on fire in the tunnel. There were no fatalities. The steep approach to the tunnel is another reason why coaches and trucks, which are at most danger of getting too hot, can overheat.
Scan and alert
The heat sensitive device works by scanning coaches and lorries and sending 3D colour images, which pinpoint the source of heat, back to the tunnel control centre. Management and the police are alerted if the temperature rises above certain critical values in the vehicle axles, brake pads or turbochargers. The vehicle would then be removed from the area.
The test will try to see exactly what are the standards that have to be used for the device because the system has to be absolutely accurate and make the difference between a truck which is normally very hot because it has driven thousands of kilometres and one which really has a problem.
HGVs are already stopped before going into the Gotthard tunnel to ensure that only one vehicle is let in every 20 seconds. This is a safety measure imposed after the 2001 fire. The system would take advantage of this short break to perform the scan.
A first in Europe
The hotspot detector is the brainchild of ECTN, which is based in Nidwalden in central Switzerland. This is a system which is the first of its kind in Europe. If the pilot phase is successful and the device approved, it would be extended to the south side of the Gotthard as well. ECTN is also hoping that the system will eventually be considered for other tunnels in Switzerland. Click http://www.tunnelintelligence.com/casestudies-in-detail-14.html to learn more about this innovative process. Visit www.ectn.com and www.gotthard-strassentunnel.ch 30/08.
