Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 15.7
Emergency post
and a pump installation. The quantity of water of each reservoir is sufficient
to extinguish for 2 hours at full capacity. The extinguishing system works
automatically: when the nozzle is removed, the extinguishing pumps start
and the system reaches an active pressure.
When the water supply to the tunnel fails - because the reservoirs are
empty or the installation is faulty - at each tunnel building the fire brigade
has the possibility to 'feed' the system with their own means and to put it
under pressure by means of an external compression connection at surface
level.
Communication facilities
Telephone installation
In the first place the telephone installation is meant
for communication amongst the maintenance personnel. They could also
use the connection if necessary, to make contact with the tunnel operator.
There is a telephone present in all plant rooms. Aside from their own
communication means, the public emergency services have the special
telephone connections of the Westerschelde Tunnel at their disposal during
disasters.
Intercom system
The intercom is a connection between the road user and
the tunnel operator. Every emergency post has an intercom connection
which looks similar to a normal telephone. When the road user picks up the
receiver there is an automatic connection with the tunnel operator. The
sound volume of the telephone receiver adjusts automatically to the sur-
rounding noise in the traffic tube: the tunnel operator almost only hears the
person who is speaking. After a call on the intercom, the tunnel operator
receives an acoustic signal and sees which intercom is making contact. An
image of the relevant emergency post is automatically displayed by the correct
TV camera. Besides, the operating system selects the correct loudspeaker
group on its own, so that if desired, the tunnel operator can inform the
people present in the relevent tunnel section directly via the loudspeaker
system. Intercom equipment is also present in the form of an intercom post
at the tunnel entrance, at the position of the traffic lights, the barrier gates,
the 'movable central barrier (MCB)' and the vehicle height-detection device.
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