Wiedemann-Technik supplied System Schröders gates for a major project
Erkelenz, March 2018 – Since the Scheibengipfeltunnel was opened to traffic on 27 October 2017, Reutlingen's city centre has been relieved of up to 20,000 cars daily. This means less traffic and an improvement in local air purity. However, the opening of a tunnel also goes hand in hand with compliance with fire protection regulations. The company Wiedemann-Technik from Husum was involved in this during construction. It supplied special smoke control and fire protection gates as well as doors and flaps that, in an emergency, seal off the connecting corridor between the tunnel and the rescue tunnel against fire and smoke, among other things.
In the event of a fire, fire and combustion gases pose an enormous danger to people, including in tunnels. To protect the rescue tunnel connected to the tunnel in such an emergency and to enable safe access to the escape route, special gates and doors had to be installed along the carriageway and in the rescue tunnel. In addition, doors, gates, and ceiling-flaps were used in other areas.
Fire and smoke protection for the rescue tunnel
Along the carriageway and at the end of the rescue tunnel, escape doors and gates were used that fulfil the strict requirements of the TL/TP TTT, such as resistance to aggressive gases, dust, slush melt, and cleaning water, as well as a maximum opening force of 60 Newton. To meet these requirements, Wiedemann-Technik relied on seven single-leaf stainless steel doors of the type "System Schröders TSN-11" as well as four double-leaf gates of the type "System Schröders TSN-12", which have an additional escape hatch, and thus enable both rapid escape and access for rescue vehicles. All closures fulfil the fire resistance class T90-RS, thus withstanding a fire for at least 90 minutes, are also smoke-tight, and have an expert report from MPA Braunschweig (Materials Testing Institute Braunschweig). In addition, the escape doors are equipped with maintenance-free easy-running bearings from System Schröders in order to guarantee the required maximum opening force.
Furthermore, doors and gates of the type "System Schröders TSN-11 and TSN-12" were also installed in the rescue tunnel itself, which are likewise fire-resistant and smoke-tight.
Further solutions for the technical area, exhaust air duct, and operations buildings
Beyond the area of access to the rescue tunnel, further fire protection closures are used, among others in the technical area of the axial fans. For example, special versions of the closures TSN-11 and TSN-12 are used here, which, in addition to fire and smoke, also withstand increased pressure and suction forces of up to 5 kPa. In addition, ceiling-flaps "System Schröders THF" of fire resistance class T90-RS were installed in the tunnel, which seal off the exhaust air duct against fire and smoke. Outside the tunnel, the operations buildings were also equipped with fire and smoke resistant closures TSN-11 and TSN-12.