One of series of articles dealing with a full-size fire ventilation test facility for a U.S. highway programme which will generate more than 50 lane-km of new vehicular tunnels. Provides an overview of the testing and comprehensive test report preparation activities. States the test programme was conducted to obtain definitive fire test data to support ventilation design and operation concepts in road tunnels. More specifically, the objective of the testing was to determine, under full-scale conditions, the relative effectiveness of various ventilation systems and operating modes in the management of heat and smoke for tunnel fires of varying intensities.

Units: I-P

KEYWORDS: year 1997, Tunnels, roads, fire, smoke, ventilation, testing, USA, performance, smoke ventilation