Manual ‘Know your tunnel’

Samenvatting

For tunnels, a lot of information is contained in (legally required) plans, but there is also a lot of knowledge that resides only in the heads of those involved. This often concerns specific starting points, design decisions, incidents, etc. Such details can be bundled in a manual ‘Know your tunnel’ by means of this template and directions.

The starting point of a ‘Know your tunnel’ manual is to record what a diligent tunnel manager ought to be aware of. The manual mainly describes details that are not recorded anywhere else. The aim is not to give a complete, exhaustive overview but to draw attention to the specifics, give an outline of the tunnel and its history, and generally state how its operations and maintenance are organised. Its also aims to trigger the reader to ‘dig deeper’ or look into other archive documents.

A ‘Know your tunnel’ manual is the property of the tunnel manager. The manual forms a reference work for the team and its stakeholders, including the operator, the service provider/maintenance contractor, the project organisation team(s) for renovation projects and functional modifications, etc. In addition, the manual is a good point of departure for people who are new to such organisations. The manual is not primarily intended for legal purposes, such as notification of the licensing authority, tunnel safety officer or the emergency services.

In terms of format and content, this manual is intended for one specific road tunnel. However, it is also possible to design this manual to cover more than one tunnel within a single management organisation.