Measures to Reduce Operating Costs

Tunnel owners are taking a number of measures to reduce their tunnel operating costs, including: n Moving toward risk-based and condition based inspections

n Reducing utility consumption n Performing energy audits

n Aggregating electricity procurement n Reducing personnel

n Moving tunnel operators to a central facility

n Shifting from unskilled personnel to skilled personnel to handle more work in-house n Reducing and eliminating the scope of some contracts

n Reducing non-critical maintenance activities

n Reducing labor costs by reducing non emergency overtime n Upgrading M&E components during rehabilitation projects

n Replacing lighting with more energy-efficient sources (e.g., replacing with LED lighting and installing motion sensors to ensure most of the lighting is off when staff are not in the area) n Changing fans from chain drive to belt drive

n Identifying over-height vehicles to avoid tunnel damage

n Purchasing systems and equipment that can be maintained in-house n Stockpiling parts from obsolete equipment

AKDOT&PF: The operating costs are contained. A reduction in operating costs would require

changes in service or safety.

Caltrans: Caltrans is reducing personnel to reduce operating costs.

Colorado DOT: CDOT is performing energy audits to reduce operating costs.

District DOT: DDOT is changing fans from chain drive to belt drive to reduce operating costs. It

be identified. It is now focusing on prohibiting or at least discouraging the operators and owners of these vehicles from using the tunnels.

MassDOT: MassDOT is moving toward risk-based and condition based inspection to be more cost

effective. It has aggregated procurement of tunnel electricity to lower costs and is shifting from unskilled personnel to skilled personnel, including maintenance, to handle more work in-house.

PennDOT: PennDOT is upgrading M&E components during rehabs to reduce operating costs

(e.g., monthly utility bills). The PTC is also optimizing lighting and ventilation equipment and operation time (e.g., through variable speeds and operational levels).

PANY&NJ: At the Lincoln Tunnel, the PANY&NJ is looking toward reducing utility consumption

and costs, reducing and eliminating the scope of some contracts, reducing non-critical maintenance activities, and reducing labor costs by reducing nonemergency overtime. At the Holland Tunnel the PANY&NJ has started a program to replace much of its lighting with more energy-efficient sources, including LED lighting and motion sensors to ensure that most of the lighting within its buildings is off when staff is not in the area.

VA CBBT: The CBBT District takes a proactive stance on maintenance, with bond resolution

documents requiring it to maintain an overall rating of seven out of nine for the facility.

VDOT: VDOT has no measures or program currently in place.

WSDOT: WSDOT is moving its tunnel operators to its central facility, doing more work in-house,

purchasing systems and equipment that can be maintained in-house, stockpiling parts from obsolete equipment, and reducing power usage by turning off lights and fans when required.

2.2.5.3 Trials of Emergency Response Systems

Tunnel owners that the scan team visited conduct and document periodic trials of their emergency response systems (e.g., fire suppression, fire identification, communication, and ventilation). Examples include:

n Written hourly records of all tunnel devices, such as ventilation systems

n Periodic trials of fire suppression systems with local responders; written trial reports filed n Monthly tests of automated control systems for fire alarms and ventilation systems

n Monthly and annual trials of ventilation systems and backup generator systems n Quarterly tests of safety systems with public safety and fire department personnel

n Quarterly operational tests of integrated systems for fire detection, ventilation control, and lane control signals

n Semiannual or annual tabletop exercises with surrounding communities, local emergency responders, and state and local police

n Annual fire response field tunnel exercises involving the live burn of a mock vehicle with facility and municipal fire department response

n Walkthroughs with fire departments and Emergency Medical Services personnel Records are kept in databases, such as maintenance management systems.

AKDOT&PF: The AKDOT&PF tests its entire safety system quarterly. Both Whittier Public

Safety and the Anchorage Fire Department have participated; the results are available. In addition, the AKDOT&PF conducts random tests.

Caltrans: Caltrans has a documented emergency response plan for the newest tunnel projects

in design and currently in construction. Inspection reports recommend that fire protection standpipe systems be tested by the local fire agency, and these inspection tests are occurring at five year intervals. CO monitoring equipment is recommended for calibration and servicing. Ventilation fans are not tested for performance; however, each year Caltrans measures and documents megohmmeter testing of winding insulation, power consumption, high and low speed fan operation, and SCADA remote operation. Individual inspection reports are available for the specific tunnels.

Colorado DOT: At the EJMT, a few tabletop exercises are conducted with surrounding

communities, local emergency responders, and state and local police approximately once a year; some records are available. The entire fire ventilation system is not tested regularly due to the excessive cost to operate it; however, individual fans are tested. The fire truck and gear are inspected every 8-hour shift, the pumper is tested weekly, and fire responders are trained once annually and drilled sporadically by supervisors.

The HLT does live fire training once a year at local fire stations, monthly drills, and monthly tests from the current International Fire Service Training Association manual. Fire apparatus are inspected every shift, along with bunker gear and self contained breathing apparatus. Ventilation fans have been tested in the past with “cold” smoke to evaluate their efficiency. Supervisors periodically conduct a pumper drill with a scenario that the responding crew has to handle.

District DOT: Extensive testing of an integrated system has just been completed as part of the

rehabilitation of fire-detection and ventilation control systems and the installation of lane control signals. Operational tests of the integrated systems are scheduled quarterly.

MassDOT: Every six months, during the second and fourth quarters, MassDOT runs the

ventilation fans at full capacity (emergency level) for 15 minutes in accordance with its Tunnel Inspection and Testing Program and local fire codes. It cleans the plenums before each test and runs the tests after tunnel washing and during rainy days to avoid dust being dispersed into the air. It runs 85 mph wind in the plenums at maximum velocity, with three minutes from minimum to maximum velocity. The tests of the fire zones are run in three modes: automatic, manual, and from the ventilation building. Tests are documented. All fire extinguishers are checked monthly. MassDOT’s HOC is the point of contact for coordination. It coordinates with the various

departments before, during, and after testing to develop the schedule, conduct the test, and follow up with any equipment alarms and failure issues. Coordination includes:

n Access work – ensures that no activity takes place inside the plenums during testing

n Community outreach – for public outreach, for example, when a ventilation building is close to residential neighborhoods

n Operations – HOC operators perform the testing

n Communications – monitors fan performance during testing

n Electricians – perform part of the test and reset the fans as needed n Environmental – performs continuous emissions monitoring

n Maintenance engineering – addresses follow up issues

MassDOT prepares a quarterly life-safety report that documents whether the life-safety preventive maintenance requirements were met. The report is filed, not published.

MassDOT believes that a minimum level of regular testing (e.g., every six months) should be required for M&E systems to ensure that the ventilation will work at full emergency mode in case of a fire. The test requirements should include operating procedures for the owner’s personnel.

PennDOT: PennDOT does a walkthrough with the City of Pittsburgh Fire Department and

Emergency Medical Services personnel. The first of every month it tests the automated control system for fire alarms and ventilation systems. The PTC conducts annual training sessions with the “Authorized Services” that respond to calls on the system.

PANY&NJ: The Holland Tunnel has at least two drills each year. One is a tabletop drill

and involves outside agencies, and one is a mutual aid drill that also involves outside agency participation. The Lincoln Tunnel conducts an annual fire response field tunnel exercise involving the live burn of a mock vehicle, response by facility and municipal fire departments, exercise of tunnel fire protection and ventilation systems, and use of communications and incident command activities.

VA CBBT: Communications are tested daily. Fire suppression, Purple-K on the Mack trucks, is

tested twice a year. Operators on the islands keep hourly records of all tunnel devices, such as the ventilation system; this is the only one with a written record.

VDOT: VDOT has periodic trials of its fire suppression (deluge system) and its communication

(CCTV and pull stations). Frequencies are as required by NFPA. Local responders participate, and reports are prepared for each trial and kept on file.

WSDOT: WSDOT has yearly trials of the fire system monthly and annual trials of the ventilation

system, and monthly and annual trials of the backup generator system. The fire department gets the results of the fire system tests. The other systems are captured from the maintenance management system. Reports are available; however, they are essentially work order reports.

2.2.5.4 Procedure to Keep Records of Fire Incidents

Tunnel owners have procedures in place to keep records of fire incidents in their tunnels. Some owners record all incidents in computerized maintenance management systems. Others have incident reports for unusual conditions, handwritten and electronic shift operating logs and incident logs that track fire and other incidents, digital video recordings of all incidents, and fire incident logs and fire-system event recorders. Fire departments keep local and national tunnel fire records via the National Fire Incident Reporting System. These data are available to U.S. tunnel owners.

AKDOT&PF: All incidents are recorded.

Caltrans: Caltrans has incident reports for unusual conditions and a 24/7 logging recorder. Colorado DOT: The HLT maintains both a shift log and an incident log to track fire incidents

as well as all other incidents. These records are both handwritten and electronic.

District DOT: Incidents requiring a maintenance response are recorded in the computerized

maintenance management system.

MassDOT: MassDOT maintains digital video recordings of all incidents. An after actions

meeting attended by all parties involved occurs for all major incidents to communicate and coordinate any possible improvements to response.

PennDOT: At the PTC, all reportable incidents are documented and logged through its

Central Command.

PANY&NJ: The Holland Tunnel has fire-related reports (forms) that are submitted for every

incident; the Risk Management Division keeps copies of these reports. Lincoln Tunnel fire incidents are tracked via operating logs; tunnel management and supervisory staff maintain the incident reports.

VA CBBT: Operators on the islands keep an hourly record of many aspects of occurrences in

and around the tunnel.

VDOT: Control room personnel log all fire incidents.

WSDOT: WSDOT keeps records of fire events on the tunnel log and fire system event recorder;

the new system has a log.