As an addition to PIARC guidelines, the scope of this ITA document is to provide recommendations for techniques and materials to answer these structural requirements and make tunnels and their ancillary structures more resistant to fire damage. These recommendations take into consideration the time - temperature curves as recommended by others and develop suitable means and methods for the protection of the structures. The aim or focus of the protection may vary from preventing minor damage to preventing a total collapse both during the fire event and during the rescue operation.

This document is intended to be a guideline and is to be used for road tunnels only and not for rail, mass transit, or pedestrian tunnels. However the basic principles for the protection of tunnels and underground structures may be applied to other types of structures; in such cases special consideration must be given to the particular application and its own unique operational and other site-specific elements. This document is for informational purposes only and applicable codes, standards and local regulations must be consulted for compliance to specific structural and life safety requirements of the locale in which the structure is located.