Abstract

In general, tunnel ventilation is analyzed with the assumption of equal vehicular speed for both directions in bidirectional traffic tunnels. This practice is likely to result in minimizing the piston effects and cannot take into consideration the effects of real situations, since in most cases, speeds of vehicles moving in opposite directions are not equal. Therefore, The ultimate goal of this study is to review the effects of unequal vehicular speeds on the planning of local bidirectional tunnel ventilation. To apply unequal vehicular speed for the bidirectional tunnel ventilation plan, the following requirements are necessary; ① Adoption of strict smoke concentration standards for free-flow & congested' traffic conditions, ② Selection of an appropriate ratio of heavy directional traffic volume, and ③ Selection of reasonable stepwised magnitude of speed difference. Based on the importance of research topic, this study aims at comparing the differences of the capacity of ventilation equipment for the cases with equal and unequal vehicular speeds in local bidirectional tunnels.