CHEMATUN is a two-year research project focusing on tunnel safety. While detailed safety concepts usually exist for fires in tunnels, comparable findings are lacking for the release of hazardous chemicals. CHEMATUN closes this gap and investigates how light, neutral, and heavy gases spread underground and what effect ventilation concepts have on the distribution. Furthermore, the foundations for operational plans and concepts for hazardous substances in underground infrastructure are being developed.

CHEMATUN uses mathematical models. At the heart of the project are real gas releases in the research infrastructure Zentrum am Berg (ZaB). Findings from these experiments will serve, on the one hand, to improve existing models for assessing the spread of hazardous substances and, on the other hand, to enable emergency responders to conduct system tests. CHEMATUN, thus, lays the foundation for operational concepts and developments in the field of ventilation. Furthermore, questions arise for further research in the field of respiratory protection technology or PPE for emergency responders.

Within the project, DCNA is primarily responsible for investigating optimization potential from a social scientific perspective and for conducting a usability study/acceptance analysis to help these efforts. 

Project partners besides DCNA

• Montanuniversität Leoben (Zentrum am Berg) - coordinator
• IRIS - Industrial Risk and Safety Solutions e.U.
• Laabmayr & Partner ZT GmbH
• Landesfeuerwehrverband Tirol

The project is financed through the KIRAS funding program of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance.

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Kick-off meeting at Montanuniversität Leoben, January 16, 2025.