About L-surf
Research on safety and security in enclosed underground spaces is of outstanding importance as current incidents (tunnel fires, terror attacks in metros etc) have shown. However currently the EU competence related to safety and security is largely unstructured, fragmented and mostly national oriented. Especially missing is a large scale research facility and the coordination and synergy of existing facilities. The necessity for a European wide initiative in these respects also was identified and clearly expressed during the 1. International Symposium on safe and reliable tunnels, held in Prague in February 2004.
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European wide initiatives |
Within the Design Study for L-SURF all relevant aspects for such a facility will be elaborated to a level that the facility could be established at least as a legal entity with the necessary structures and activities and that preliminary concepts and plans for the physical construction are laid out. The study describes the constructional lay-out of the facility, based – if the concept is feasible - on a entirely new concept for easily creating any contours, shapes and sizes of enclosed spaces needed, but also all other aspects like installations, environmental impacts etc.
The concept:
- will allow novel approaches to R&D work
- describes innovative measuring sensors, based on the latest technologies (e.g. nanotechnology) available
- evaluates the research needs and outlines the R&D - activities
- develops an integration process for the existing and projected national facilities with their competences and researchers, thus restructuring and improving the relevant EU competence while simultaneously showing ways for using R&D funds more economically
- shows ways and means to raise the necessary funds for the different stages in the setting up of the facility and networking of existing facilities
- includes a business plan (e.g. referring to models like CERN) for a new legal entity dedicated to the establishing of L-SURF.
The partners of the consortium have agreed to set-up this legal entity based on the business plans developed within the frame of the Design Study. During the project time will be defined how to integrate further partners in the L-Surf entity.
