ABSTRACT
Civil engineering, ventilation and safety design for infrastructure projects are intimately coupled subjects, which require a tight interaction and a deep mutual understanding. This is particularly relevant for complex ventilations systems and emergency exits, which can have a wide-ranging influence on the overall tunnel design. The most severe requirements are met in the case of urban tunnels, subject to space constraints, as well as for long and/or deep tunnels. An optimum design couples the different requirements and constraints in a most elegant and efficient manner to completely fulfil the scope, to guarantee all the requirements, to optimise and simplify the construction and to minimise construction and operational costs. All system’s components interact in a seamless manner, allow for efficient operation and maintenance and are less prone to problems while upgrading or retrofitting the infrastructure. This paper addresses the most relevant issues, illustrates background, requirements and constraints and presents possible solutions, based on real-life examples.
