SOLIT / SOLIT2

The SOLIT – Safety of Life in Tunnels – research project was launched as a FOGTEC initiative. After it was successfully shown in the first part of the project that FOGTEC water mist systems can highly effectively fight class A and B fires in tunnels, a second part of the project (SOLIT2) was conducted. Both parts of the project were funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy by order of the German Bundestag. 

Together with research partners STUVA, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bung Ingenieure GmbH, TÜV Süd and the Institute for Applied Fire Safety Research (IFAB), SOLIT2 comprised an investigation using a FOGTEC water mist system that was examined for optimal use of a fixed firefighting system in combination with other fire protection measures. The advisory board included, among others, BAST, ADAC, Fire brigade of Hamburg and TÜV-Rheinland. 

The goal of the project was to enable other measures such as structural fire protection and smoke extraction systems to be designed less expensively, thereby reducing the overall costs of a tunnel and at the same time maintaining the same safety level  and/or increasing safety and availability without increasing costs. 

The basis of this research was a comprehensive test programme using full scale fire tests during which the various fire protection concepts were tested based on representative scenarios. All project goals were fully attained. 

The results were summarised in comprehensive guidelines, which today constitute the basis for fitting firefighting systems in road tunnels for many countries. 

The detailed final report is available at www.SOLIT.info.