Project Synopsis
With over 20,000 vehicles circumventing the congestion of Dublin City centre each day, the Dublin Port Tunnel is a vital artery for the historic city and its surrounding area. Egis Road & Tunnel Operations (ERTO) recognised keeping the structure safe necessitates a multitude of advanced systems and sensors, monitoring traffic, responding to emergencies and keeping users informed.
Project Overview
After a successful client demonstration of our Public Address & Voice Alarm (PAVA) system and our proven ability to integrate tunnel subsystems with our Control and Monitoring Systems (CMS), ERTO contracted PDS to provide solutions to confront the challenges posed by the dual-bore, 4.5km tunnel. A new CMS would bring complete oversight for the tunnel operators, while the PAVA system would provide the means of communicating to those within the tunnel.
The PAVA System ensures 100% loudspeaker coverage throughout both bores of the tunnel, along with the toll plaza and the service buildings. In the event of an emergency, an interface into the radio rebroadcast system also enables messages to be received in vehicle radios.
With this, both pre-recorded and live messages can be broadcast to everyone within the tunnel and supporting structures.
The poor acoustics of the tunnel environment, coupled with a lack of clarity from their existing solution, demanded special attention. Our system certifies the volume and clarity of any message broadcast, providing clear audible alerts with minimal distortion, maximising the Speech Transmission Index. This, coupled with directional sound evacuation beacons, ensures people can always locate emergency exits.
Through the CMS, operators can actively monitor and manage incidents through the seamless integration of the Over Height Detection, Environmental Sensors, Linear Heat Detection, Variable Message Signs and PAVA sub-systems. Alarm, event logging and data analysis tools give operators’ comprehensive control over tunnel systems through deep insight into their real-time operation. All of which is underpinned by a resilient architecture, providing high integrity performance.
By supplying a non-proprietary, robust, scalable platform, PDS has ensured ERTO is able to respond to developments in the tunnel control market, allowing for continual improvement. Our solution gathers and transmits information securely and widely, using innovative systems. Both operators and maintainers are empowered by the ability to promptly receive information throughout the structure, ensuring the tunnel fulfils its vital role in managing congestion with optimum efficiency and safety.
“PDS delivered a reliable, high quality PAVA system, fully meeting our expectations, particularly for sound quality and system availability. Their team of engineers, worked proactively with our project team to ensure a smooth project delivery with minimal disruption to road users”
Jeff Burt
Erto – Tunnel Director
