Door Forces in Underground Infrastructure

Abstract

During the course of commissioning the Crossrail stations, it was observed that a wide range of forces was required to open these doors, some of which appeared to be excessive. Within the stations, certain door opening forces were significantly influenced by the pressures induced by the tunnel ventilation and shaft pressurisation systems, which operate independently. This paper reviews the opening forces measured at evacuation and intervention doors within the Crossrail stations and shafts, presents the requirements currently adopted by the Crossrail project, and outlines the standards and guidelines relevant for such doors. The legal requirements pertaining to the safety functions of evacuation doors are briefly presented, and analysis is presented of the physiological data pertaining to individuals’ pushing strength. The paper sets recommendations for the maximum allowable opening forces on doors within evacuation and intervention routes impacted by the tunnel ventilation system, which were agreed through peer review.