International Congress on Safety Criteria and Innovations in TunnelsThe international congress on Safety Criteria and Innovations in Tunnels will be celebrated in the Congress Palace in Gijon, Asturias on 29th, 30th June and 1st July, 2005. The objective of this congress is to give an overview of the state of the art (29th and 30th June) and present the Research Centre on Fire and Ventilation in Tunnels located in San Pedro de Anes, where a fire test will be organised on 1st July. During the test, it will be possible to verify on the spot the evolution of temperature and smokes in the event of a fire. This real-scale test will show a fire inside a tunnel, while simultaneously the operation of different fire detectors will be controlled (cable sensors, linear heat detector by means of gas expansion pipes and detection by CCTV in an innovative presentation). Also, the effectiveness of fire extinguishing devices by means of water mist, the behaviour of special electric supply cables and the operation of CO and opacity detectors will be presented.The concern for safety in tunnels has led the government of Asturias to promote the construction of this centre, which mainly consists of a 600 m tunnel, equipped with numerous systems, where it will be possible to test, validate and certificate apparatus, systems, simulation programmes and procedures designed to ensure safety in underground structures. For more information, contact Asturtunel, tel.+34 985453255, fax +34 985464737, info@asturtunel.com or congreso@asturtunel.com 22/05.