MC Valles validates at our laboratories the evacuation system for the new Doha metro in Qatar

The company MC Valles has been hired to execute the installation of its gate system in the Doha metro (Qatar), which is especially suitable for underground emergency exits. It is a mechanical gate system for emergency exits, where escape is ensured with minimal effort on the device and without prior knowledge of the operation of the device.

TECNALIA has carried out the characterisation of the gate system for underground emergency exits. The tests have been carried out to determine the design requirements of:

• Resistance to wind load.
• Resistance to forced closure of the gate.
• Impact resistance.
• Use overload
• Operating forces and unlocking capacity
• Resistance to repeated opening and closure.

These tests carried out in our facilities ensure that the evacuation system is capable of supporting loads produced by impacts, the passage of people or, from time to time, vehicles, and that, in evacuation position (open), it will not produce involuntary closure or malfunction during strong gusts of wind, thus preventing risks to users.

The Doha Metro will be built in two phases: the first phase aims to build three of the four lines and 37 stations. It is expected that these lines will be open to the public by 2020. Future phases involve the introduction of an additional line and the expansion of existing ones, with more than 60 additional stations. The first expansion will be completed by 2026.

   

The metro aims to reach both the capital and the suburbs. The majority of the lines are located underground. Evacuation of enclosed areas, particularly in underground stations, is risky for users.

To ensure that, in panic situations, the evacuation can be completed successfully, it is absolutely essential that the evacuation route allows for the appropriate flow of people.

With this evacuation system validation carried out at our laboratories, the company MC Valles has been included in the Peru-Lima Line 2 metro (Peru) and Riyadh Metro (Saudi Arabia) projects.

For further information contact our colleague Jose Manuel Hidalgo, Structural Safety Laboratory, LAB_SERVICES:

jmanuel.hidalgo@tecnalia.com