Ismailia Tunnel: Modern Fire Protection Beneath the Suez Canal in Egypt
In the course of a large-scale infrastructure programme of the Egyptian government, including the creation of a special economic zone in the Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian construction companies were commissioned to build several tunnels; the construction times of these projects were quite ambitious. The Ismailia Tunnel is the longest link below the Suez Canal and serves to improve access to the Sinai. It consists of two tubes, each about 5 km long, and runs 40 m below the important connection between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. To protect the structure of the tunnel, which runs under water, the safety concept included a water mist fire-fighting system (FFFS).
Depending on traffic, the tunnel, located 130 km west of Cairo, can be reached in about two hours by car from the Egyptian capital. The Ismailia Tunnel was built by a consortium consisting of two large Egyptian construction companies. Internationally renowned planning offices were involved in the planning; numerous specialised companies from abroad were commissioned.
Water Mist FFFS for the Ismailia Tunnel
The tunnel is accessible to all traffic, including large trucks and tankers. The water mist FFFS planned by Arcadis in the Netherlands had to be successfully tested for a fire load of 200...
