Fire Science Show
Fire Science Show
Wojciech Wegrzynski
239 - Assessing post-fire structural damage in tunnels with Negar Elhami-Khorasani
1 hour 1 minutes Posted Feb 18, 2026 at 8:00 am.
Framing The Post-Fire Problem
Partner Message And Mission
Meet The Guest And Award
Why Tunnels And Post-Fire Decisions
Fire Severity, Ventilation, And Slope
Temperatures Along The Tunnel
Modeling Traveling Fire Effects
How Heat Damages Concrete And Steel
Spalling Mechanisms Explained
Data Gaps And Extreme Fire Curves
A Practical Spalling Model
Damage Metrics And Repair Triggers
Cooling Phase And Residual State
Collapse Time For Firefighter Safety
Geometry, Soil, And Failure Modes
Restraint And Test Limitations
Uncertainty And Probabilistic Spalling
Quickfire Spalling Q&A
Polypropylene Fibers As Mitigation
Hidden Damage And Inspection Limits
Post-Fire Workflow And Timelines
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Show notes
A tunnel can ride out a fire without collapsing (or even critical visible structural damage), but a question whether it is safe for operations, and what is its long-term residual fire resistance remains. With repair bills being in high seven-eight figures, this is more than just a theoretical question... In this episode we dig into the hard middle ground of fire damage post mild/large fires, and cover where modeling and fire science can help reducing the uncertainty and guiding decisions. Wit...