THE ITALIAN GRAN SASSO NATIONAL LABORATORY IN THE GRANSASSO HIGHWAY TUNNEL, AN UNIQUE SITUATION OFCOHABITATION BETWEEN A ROAD TUNNEL AND ANUNDERGROUND HIGH ENERGY PHISYCS LABORATORY – ANEXAMPLE OF SAFETY ANALYSIS PERFORMED FOR ONE OF THEMAIN EXPERIMENT

摘要

The Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nuclearern(INFN), the Italian governmental authority for nuclear physics, is the biggest underground physicsrnlaboratory in the world. The Laboratory is located inside the left motorway tunnel crossing thernGran Sasso mountain in the motorway connecting Rome to Teramo in central part of Italy. ThernLaboratory consists of three big Halls and connection tunnels where nuclear physics experimentsrnare performed. The unique access of the Laboratory is trough the left motorway tunnel. The cablesrnfor the electric power, communication and the duct of the ventilation of the Laboratory are locatedrninside the left motorway tunnel.rnThe physics experiments run inside the underground laboratory request the use of considerablernquantity of flammable and other dangerous materials that in case of an accident could pose hazardsrnalso for the highway users. On the other hand a big fire in the left highway tunnel certainly wouldrntrap people present inside the Laboratory.rnThis situation requires that accurate safety analysis are made in order to evaluate the risk level andrnstate-of the-art safety plants are realized in order to have very early warnings and efficient meansrnto minimize the risks associated to the research activity inside the Laboratory. In addition it’srnobvious the importance to agree with the society who run the highway a detailed plan to face thernemergency situations.rnAfter the Monte Bianco tunnel accident there has been a review of the emergency plan of thernLaboratory and a new evaluation of the risks, which suggested the realization of new safety plantsrnand more deep analysis of the consequences of an accident inside the Laboratory and highwayrntunnel.rnTo ensure good safety level both for Laboratory and highway tunnel is a very challenging item,rntaking into account the fact that Laboratory does not have an emergency escape route independentrnfrom the highway tunnel.