Quantifying a Common Safety Target for Tunnels | WSP Skip to content
  • Who We Are

    We are the sum of our collective passion, vision and expertise.

    Discover our people, purpose and stories that have helped shape the organization we are today and are inspiring the one we will become.

    Who We Are
    • What We Stand For
    • Our Story
    • Corporate Responsibility
    • Regional Leadership
    Corporate Responsibility
    • Communities
    • Corporate Governance
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Ethics and Integrity
    • Health and Safety
    • Sustainability
    Featured Content

    Future Ready

    With Future Ready we see the future more clearly and challenge our teams across the world to advise…

  • What We Do

    We shape the communities of tomorrow and help society thrive.

    With an intimate sense of local realities, we look at complex problems from different angles and deliver solutions that break paradigms.


    View All

    • Sectors
    • Services
    • Projects
    What We Do
    • Property and Buildings
    • Transport and Infrastructure
    • Project Management Services
    • Advisory Services
    Featured Content

    Rapid Responses to the Impacts of COVID-19

    Helping clients globally to prepare, respond and recover

  • Insights

    Our global experts offer compelling insights that provide new perspectives.

    Read inspiring articles that challenge the status quo by reframing current issues, sparking fresh conversations and finding new solutions.

    View all
    Insights
    • Climate
    • Mobility
    • Places
    • Resources
    • Society
    • Technology
    Featured Content

    Digital Twins Contribute to Infrastructure…

    Driving optimal outcomes for projects and communities

  • Careers

    Help us shape the future

    Join a collaborative team of experts that thrives on complex challenges and unconventional thinking.

    See more
    Careers
    • Join Us
    • Early Career
    • Experienced Professionals
    • Why Choose WSP
    Featured Content

    WSP is hiring in power

    Care to join us in doing purposeful, sustainable work that helps shape communities and the future?…

  • Who We Are
    • What We Stand For
    • Our Story
    • Corporate Responsibility
      • Who We Are
      • Accountable for Tomorrow
        • Communities
        • Corporate Governance
        • Diversity and Inclusion
        • Ethics and Integrity
        • Health and Safety
        • Sustainability
    • Regional Leadership
  • What We Do
    • Property and Buildings
    • Transport and Infrastructure
    • Project Management Services
    • Advisory Services
  • Insights
    • Climate
    • Mobility
    • Places
    • Resources
    • Society
    • Technology
  • Careers
    • Join Us
    • Early Career
    • Experienced Professionals
    • Why Choose WSP
Back

We are locally dedicated with international scale.

United Arab Emirates - English

International

  • Global
    English - Français

Americas

  • Canada
    English - Français
  • Chile
    Español
  • Colombia
    Español
  • Mexico
    Español
  • Panama
    Español
  • Peru
    Español
  • United States
    English

Africa

  • South Africa
    English

Asia

  • China
    中文(简体) - English
  • Hong Kong
    English
  • India
    English
  • Malaysia
    English
  • Philippines
    English
  • Singapore
    English
  • South Korea
    한국어(대한민국) - English
  • Thailand
    English

Europe

  • Denmark
    Dansk
  • Finland
    Suomi
  • France
    Français
  • Germany
    Deutsch
  • Greenland
    Kalaallisut - English
  • Netherlands
    Nederlands
  • Norway
    Norsk
  • Poland
    Polski - English
  • Romania
    English
  • Spain
    Español
  • Sweden
    Svenska - English
  • Switzerland
    Deutsch - English
  • United Kingdom
    English

Middle East

  • Kuwait
    English
  • Oman
    English
  • Qatar
    English
  • Saudi Arabia
    English
  • United Arab Emirates
    English

Oceania

  • Australia
    English
  • New Zealand
    English
Worldwide Offices
    • Investors

      Discover our diverse business, financial results and strategic ambitions.

      We are committed to delivering sustainable value to our shareholders and exceptional professional services to our clients.

      Read more
      Investors
      • Corporate Governance
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
      • Stock Information
      • Shareholder Information
      • Presentations and Events
      Corporate Governance
      • Audit Committee
      • Board of Directors
      • Business Conduct Hotline
      • Constating Documents
      • Governance Documents
      • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
      • Mandates
      Reports & Filings
      • AIF
      • Annual
      • Information Circular
      • Quarterly
      • SEDAR Filings
      • Sustainability
      Stock Information
      • Analyst Coverage
      Shareholder Information
      • Acquisitions
      • Dividends
      • Drip
      • FAQ
      Featured Content
      Thn-Web-Q42020-Results

      WSP's Q4 and 2020 Results

      We released our 2020 fourth quarter and fiscal results on February 24, 2021 after market close.

    • Investors
      • Corporate Governance
        • Investors
        • Corporate Governance
          • Audit Committee
          • Board of Directors
          • Business Conduct Hotline
          • Constating Documents
          • Governance Documents
          • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
          • Mandates
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
        • Investors
        • REPORTS & FILINGS
          • AIF
          • Annual
          • Information Circular
          • Quarterly
          • SEDAR Filings
          • Sustainability
      • Stock Information
        • Investors
        • Stock Information
          • Analyst Coverage
      • Shareholder Information
        • Investors
        • Shareholder Information
          • Acquisitions
          • Dividends
          • Drip
          • FAQ
      • Presentations and Events
    • News

      Progress happens quickly.

      Stay up to date with our latest global news, events, awards and more.

      News
      • Latest News
      • Press Releases
      Featured Content

      Scaling Up Healthcare Capacity At Speed

      With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, our global healthcare network and specialist teams have…

    • Contact us

      We are dedicated to our local communities and driven by global talent.

      Contact us to find out how our diversified offering, world-class expertise and geographical reach can assist you in achieving your vision.


      Follow us

      Contact us
      • Send a Message
      • Offices
    • Investors

      Discover our diverse business, financial results and strategic ambitions.

      We are committed to delivering sustainable value to our shareholders and exceptional professional services to our clients.

      Read more
      Investors
      • Corporate Governance
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
      • Stock Information
      • Shareholder Information
      • Presentations and Events
      Corporate Governance
      • Audit Committee
      • Board of Directors
      • Business Conduct Hotline
      • Constating Documents
      • Governance Documents
      • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
      • Mandates
      Reports & Filings
      • AIF
      • Annual
      • Information Circular
      • Quarterly
      • SEDAR Filings
      • Sustainability
      Stock Information
      • Analyst Coverage
      Shareholder Information
      • Acquisitions
      • Dividends
      • Drip
      • FAQ
      Featured Content
      Thn-Web-Q42020-Results

      WSP's Q4 and 2020 Results

      We released our 2020 fourth quarter and fiscal results on February 24, 2021 after market close.

    • Investors
      • Corporate Governance
        • Investors
        • Corporate Governance
          • Audit Committee
          • Board of Directors
          • Business Conduct Hotline
          • Constating Documents
          • Governance Documents
          • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
          • Mandates
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
        • Investors
        • REPORTS & FILINGS
          • AIF
          • Annual
          • Information Circular
          • Quarterly
          • SEDAR Filings
          • Sustainability
      • Stock Information
        • Investors
        • Stock Information
          • Analyst Coverage
      • Shareholder Information
        • Investors
        • Shareholder Information
          • Acquisitions
          • Dividends
          • Drip
          • FAQ
      • Presentations and Events
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Press Releases
    • Contact us
      • Send a Message
      • Offices
  1. $name
  2. Insights
  3. Quantifying a Common Safety Target for Tunnels

Quantifying a Common Safety Target for Tunnels

A safety target for road tunnels, railway tunnels and subway systems is essential during the planning and approval stages of tunnel projects. The required level of safety in such tunnels is generally considered unclear and discussions regarding it difficult. Our experts provide an overview of a research project commissioned by the Swedish Transport Agency (STA) focused on how to facilitate the quantification of a common target for traffic tunnels, and produce a clear outcome.

map marker Sweden | 07 June, 2018
Reading Time : 20 minutes

This article was written in collaboration with WSP Director of Technical Risk Johan Lundin. It was first presented as a part of the 8th edition of the International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security (ISTSS) in Borås, Sweden.

Abstract

This paper focuses on quantifying a common safety target level that can be used to verify safety levels in road tunnels, railway tunnels, and subway systems with regards to life safety. This safety target should provide a risk acceptance level, according to which tunnel projects can be compared to one another while factoring in the benefit of the tunnel in terms of the value of transporting people and goods. In order to ascertain a reasonable safety target, risk acceptance levels of regulations and recent tunnel projects were studied. The estimated risk levels of recent road and railway tunnel projects were also identified, and converted into the same entity of risk. These risk levels were also compared to estimated risk levels of several fictional road and railway tunnels that comply with current standards, with and without the transportation of dangerous goods.

There are large differences in how risk is expressed in road and railway tunnel projects, and none of the projects or regulations studied fully factor in the societal benefit of traffic when formulating safety target as a societal risk profile. Risk-benefit assessment, however, is quite common in the projects studied. The railway tunnel risk acceptance levels used by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) are close to incorporate these benefits, as they state risk on the basis of train-km, whereas other bodies and projects only consider the tunnel as a whole or state it in terms of tunnel-km. The analysis of calculated risk levels shows that they can be stated on the basis of risk per person-km, which provides comparable data for the different transport systems and are directly proportional to transport benefits. Risk acceptance criteria for all three transport systems can preferably be measured in deaths per person-km for societal risk profiles. This unit does not state the total risk of each facility; rather, it allows an ALARP zone to be created, which allows a risk-benefit comparison to be performed. In this paper, it is suggested that risk acceptance levels should be set just above those of tunnel projects that have recently been approved by the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen), and that the establishing of ALARP zones should be a requirement in these processes, as this promotes risk assessment and the design of cost-effective tunnel systems.

Download the Full Text Here

More on this subject

thn-wp-alliance-contracting

February 2021

Leveraging Project Procurement and Delivery Approaches for Positive Outcomes

White Paper
Mobility , Places , Resources , COVID-19 , Resilience
thn-Web-Maritime_Reefer

February 2021

Setting sail for more efficient and greener trade by sea

Feature
Climate , Mobility , Resilience
thn-mlk-street-closure-encourages-recreation

December 2020 | 3:00 minutes

WSP USA Study: Street Closure Encourages Recreational Activity During Pandemic

United States
White Paper
COVID-19 , Mobility
Thn-Web-VZ-ITS-Article6

December 2020

Creating Safe Road Ecosystems

Feature
Mobility , Technology , Places , Society
Thn-Web-VZ-ITS-Article5

November 2020

Designing Out Flaws Within Road Transportation Systems

Feature
Mobility , Places , Resilience , Society , Technology
Thn-Web-Insight-TI-Electric-Vehicles

November 2020

Continuing the Shift to Electric Vehicles

Feature
Mobility , Places , Technology
Thn-Hero-VZ-WDOR-2020

November 2020

Achieving Vision Zero Road Safety

Feature
Mobility , Resilience , Society
Thn-VZ-ITS-Article4

November 2020

Adopting the "ITS" Holistic View to Progress Road Vehicle Safety

Feature
Mobility , Places , Resilience , Society
Thn-Web-Insight-Mt-Eden-Station

October 2020

Innovative Pathways Deliver Vital Infrastructure

Feature
Mobility , Technology , Places
Thn-Web-VZ-ITS-Article3

October 2020

Effective Intelligent Transport Systems Integrate Human Factors

Feature
Mobility , Places , Society
thn-maritime-insights

October 2020

Can sailing into the past inspire an autonomous future?

Feature
Climate , Resilience , Mobility , Places , Technology
thn-Web-VZ-ITS-Article2

October 2020

On the "ITS" Road Toward Vision Zero

Feature
Mobility , Places

Author

Erik Hällstorp
Sweden

Share this page

  • Share on Facebook - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Linkedin - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Twitter - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Skype - Warning, this link will open your Skype application.


Related themes and tags

  • Mobility (189)


  • Compliance (13)
  • Fire and Safety (12)
  • Infrastructure (93)
  • Innovation (40)
  • Transportation (153)
  • Transit (62)
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  • Who We Are
  • What We Stand For
  • Our Story
  • Future Ready
  • Regional Leadership
  • Our Offices
  • What We Do
  • Sectors
  • Services
  • Projects
  • Insights
  • Climate
  • Mobility
  • Places
  • Society
  • Resources
  • Technology
  • Careers
  • Join Our Team
  • Spontaneous Application
  • Corporate
  • Sustainability
  • Health and Safety
  • Investors
  • Business Conduct Hotline
  • News
  • Corporate Governance
  • Ethics and Integrity
    ©2021 WSP
    • The WSP Logo
    • Privacy Policy
    • Anti-Spam Commitment
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Use
    ©2021 WSP

    Exiting our Website

    You are about to leave WSP.com and are being redirected to a job opportunity at Louis Berger, which has been recently acquired by WSP in the US.