Wind influence on the flow inside the road tunnels in the case of the fire

An important factor in ensuring the fire safety of a construction works, such as a tunnel, is the effective evacuation of smoke and heat to allow people to evacuate and enable to fight a fire. In short tunnels natural ventilation is used, where the flow of air is caused by natural convection phenomena and weather conditions. The results of this research show that the stratification phenomenon in naturally ventilated tunnels occurs in windless conditions only. Flow blockage was observed for a wind angle equal to 90°, causing smoke and heat to remain in the tunnel. The use of natural ventilation to remove smoke and heat from short tunnels is inappropriate due to the ineffective functioning, in the case of the fire and wind action.