The last months of 2018 have been quite an active period of ITA COSUF. In fall 2018 ITA COSUF has contributed to the PIARC International Conference on Road Tunnel Operations and Safety (3-5 October 2018). On the 2nd of October Activity Group meetings and the General Assembly 2018 took place. Click ITA COSUF News (December 2018) to read all about the interesting work of the ITA COSUF Award Winner 2018 and a preview of the ITA COSUF events scheduled in 2019.
 Final.jpg)
ITA COSUF Workshop in Utrecht.
New energy carriers (also known as NEC) for road transport, such as battery electric cars, and fuel cell cars, entail new risks for the safety of tunnels and underground parking lots. In order to get an idea of the magnitude of these risks are and how they can be controlled, research is needed, preferably in a European context. That is the most important outcome of the two-day international Workshop on NEC in Road Tunnels that took place in Utrecht on 20 and 21 and was organized by KPT, ITA-COSUF and PIARC.
The first day of the conference consisted of an Expert Meeting on invitation during which the most urgent research needs for the near future were discussed. The second day was a public workshop with several sessions concerning respectively safe operation of tunnels and other underground transport facilities, the perspective of the emergency services, research activities and research, available instruments and future needs. The day ended with a panel discussion.
A long read of the workshop is available and can be downloaded here. The presentations of the workshop can be downloaded here.
ISTSS 2018 endorsed by ITA COSUF
The next International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security will be held in Borås, Sweden 14 – 16 March 2018 !
Safety and Security have been high on the scientific agenda for decades, no more so than after the tragic attacks of nine-eleven in New York. The success of the International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security (ISTSS) is a tribute to the pressing need for continued international research and dialogue on these issues, perhaps in particular connected to complex infrastructure such as tunnels and tunnel networks.
The focus has mainly been on fires and safety in tunnels, but it is shifting more and more towards security. The new terrorist threats and focus on how to solve these problems is increasing. The need for expertise in this area for underground infrastructure in general is continuously increasing. We urge scientists and practicing engineers in this field to consider ISTSS as good quality forum for presenting their results. The aim is to make ISTSS as a natural forum for scientists and practicing engineers to exchange information in the future.
Who should attend?
Tunnels are an increasingly important part of the infrastructure network. They create challenges for traffic and emergency management, fire safety and security against attacks or sabotage. This Symposium will offer an excellent opportunity for experts working with transport, emergency management, risk analysis, infrastructure security, tunnel consultants, system providers, tunnel operation and research to exchange their experiences in an international forum.
How to attend and more information
Visit http://istss.se/
ITA COSUF would like to draw your attention to the the Norwegian Tunnel Safety Conference (NTSC). NTSC brings together tunnel operators and owners, policy makers, fire and rescue services with researchers and the tunneling industry to spark innovative solutions to improve tunnel safety. It is a two-day event with the theme Personal safety in tunnels on day 1 and ITS support on day 2. There will be various site visits and there is an exhibition. More information can be found on www.ntsc2017.no.
