TunnelSAFE Gantry Design Refuge Chamber
The TunnelSAFE Gantry Design Refuge Chamber is installed at the rear of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), providing a fixed safe refuge solution for the life of the tunnelling project. The Gantry Design (GD) is available in a standard and wide design, dependent on the size of the cutting head infrastructure and project requirements.

- Product Overview
- Product Specs - GD
- Product Specs- GD Wide
- Standard Features
- Optional Features
- Supporting Documents
Overview
MineARC's TunnelSAFE Gantry Design Refuge Chamber is highly customisable to suit any tunnelling project and can be built to comply with British Standard (BS EN 16191:2014) Safety Requirements for Tunnelling Machinery or the ITA's "Guidelines for the Provision of Refuge Chambers Under Construction".".
The TunnelSAFE Gantry Design Refuge Chamber features a standard or wide shell, and is available in a range of occupancies - from 10 to 24 people. It's dimensions and rated occupancy can be custom-engineered to project specifications, without compromising on safety or performance.
Specifications – Gantry Design
Model | Occupancy | Compliance | Height (m) | Width (m) | Length (m) | Weight(kg) |
TS-GD1-10-ELV-24-I | 10-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 1.60 | 5.60 | 4800 |
TS-GD3-10-ELV-24-E | 10-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 1.60 | 7.00 | 5950 |
TS-GD2-12-ELV-24-I | 12-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 1.60 | 6.30 | 5400 |
TS-GD4-12-ELV-24-E | 12-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 1.60 | 7.95 | 6200 |
TS-GD3-14-ELV-24-I | 14-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 1.60 | 7.00 | 5950 |
TS-GD5-14-ELV-24-E | 14-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 1.60 | 9.00 | 6450 |
TS-GD4-16-ELV-24-I | 16-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 1.60 | 7.95 | 6200 |
TS-GD6-16-ELV-24-E | 16-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 1.60 | 9.80 | 6700 |
TS-GD5-20-ELV-24-I | 20-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 1.60 | 9.00 | 6450 |
TS-GD8-20-ELV-24-E | 20-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 1.60 | 9.80 | 7200 |
TS-GD7-24-ELV-24-I | 24-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 1.60 | 10.50 | 6920 |
Specifications – Gantry Design Wide
Model | Occupancy | Compliance | Height (m) | Width (m) | Length (m) | Weight (kg) |
TS-GDW1-10-ELV-24-I | 10-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 2.00 | 4.80 | 4900 |
TS-GDW3-10-ELV-24-E | 10-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 2.00 | 5.80 | 5450 |
TS-GDW2-12-ELV-24-I | 12-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 2.00 | 5.30 | 5200 |
TS-GDW4-12-ELV-24-E | 12-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 2.00 | 6.40 | 5900 |
TS-GDW3-14-ELV-24-I | 14-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 2.00 | 5.80 | 5450 |
TS-GDW6-14-ELV-24-E | 14-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 2.00 | 7.75 | 6500 |
TS-GDW4-16-ELV-24-I | 16-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 2.00 | 6.40 | 5900 |
TS-GDW7-16-ELV-24-E | 16-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 2.00 | 8.12 | 6750 |
TS-GDW5-20-ELV-24-I | 20-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 2.00 | 6.80 | 6150 |
TS-GDW8-20-ELV-24-E | 20-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 2.00 | 9.86 | 7300 |
TS-GDW6-24-ELV-24-I | 24-Person | ITA | 2.00 | 2.00 | 7.75 | 6500 |
TS-GDW9-24-ELV-24-E | 24-Person | BS EN | 2.00 | 2.00 | 11.40 | 7650 |
- Self-regenerative ELV CO and CO2 scrubbing
- Medical O2 regulator and backup
- Compressed Air Management System (CAMS)
- Positive pressure maintenance system with visual reference
- Audio visual warning for pneumatic disruption
- Aura-FX Fixed Gas Monitor
- Air conditioning and dehumidifying
- 5mm steel plate construction with reflective signage
- Water based fire extinguisher (optional for non-Australian orders)
- Full UPS 24hr battery backup system
- Ergonomically designed seating
- Radio power supply
- External strobe lighting; internal fluorescent lighting
- Custom dimensions and transport configurations
- Blast shield protection (reinforced construction)
- Fully Flushing, Pressurised Airlock
- Misting system for external temperature control
- Satellite UPS System
- First aid kit
- GuardIAN Refuge Chamber Monitoring
- Internal LCD monitor screen
- Step-down transformer
- Carbon Monoxide Safety-Off-System (COSOS)
- Remote video camera monitoring
- Intrinsically safe MARCis Scrubber
- Automated Oxygen Delivery System (AODS)
Designing a Refuge Chamber for a Tunnelling Emergency
Fire Protection for Refuge Chambers
Methane Shut Off Systems for Tunnelling Refuge Chamber
Safety Critical for Chinese Undersea Tunnel Construction
TunnelSAFE Commissioning at Brenner Base Tunnel
Gantry Design Refuge Chamber Sweeps Through Europe
Compressed Air Management System (CAMS)
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TunnelSAFE Gantry Design 10-Person Refuge Chamber (ITA or BSEN)TS-GD1-10-ELV-24-I & TS-GD3-10-ELV-24-E
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TunnelSAFE Gantry Design 12-Person Refuge Chamber (ITA or BSEN)TS-GD2-12-ELV-24-I & TS-GD4-12-ELV-24-E
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TunnelSAFE Gantry Design 14-Person Refuge Chamber (ITA or BSEN)TS-GD3-14-ELV-24-I & TS-GD5-14-ELV-24-E
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TunnelSAFE Gantry Design 16-Person Refuge Chamber (ITA or BSEN)TS-GD4-16-ELV-24-I & TS-GD6-16-ELV-24-E
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TunnelSAFE Gantry Design 20-Person Refuge Chamber (ITA or BSEN)TS-GD5-20-ELV-24-I & GD8-20-ELV-24-E
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TunnelSAFE Gantry Design 24-Person Refuge Chamber (ITA)TS-GD7-24-ELV-24-I
Chamber Exterior – Front
The strobe lighting, warning siren and reflective signage alert passers-by to the chamber’s location, whilst the rotating door handles provide simple, straight forward access to the safety of the interior.
[tunnelsafe-cd-front]
Chamber Interior
The TunnelSAFE Gantry Design uses active chemicals and MineARC's ELV (extra-low-voltage) Scrubbing System to ‘scrub’ the build up of harmful CO2 (carbon dioxide) and CO (carbon monoxide) from the air inside the refuge chamber.
Comparison Table
Capacity
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ITA/BS EN Compliance
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Aura-FX Gas Monitoring | CAMS | Gantry | Mobile | Portable | 24hrs Battery Backup | |
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10-24 | |||||||
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10-24 | |||||||
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10-24 | |||||||
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10-24 | |||||||
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8-20 | |||||||
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12-24 | |||||||
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12-24 |