September 2012. CO, CO2, NO, NO2 detection and air quality control in tunnel
The security improvement works of the Malbasín and Artxanda tunnels, in the A-8 highway, have a time-frame of 15 months at a cost of 7 milllion euros.
The Artxanda tunnels are a complex of three road tunnels excavated in 1995 under the Artxanda mountain near the city of Bilbao. Total length of the three tunnels is 3,096 m. They connect the Bilbao airport with the center of the city and with the Asúa valley corridor, which runs from the coast near Guecho up to the Cantabrian Highway link (A-8).
The Malbasín tunnel, built in 1973 has a length of 1,340 m and crosses the mountain of that name. The tunnel connects the towns of Arrigorriaga, Basauri and Bilbao by road, and through it also goes the railroad line that communicates Bilbao with the plateau.
For the detection of carbon monoxide -CO-, carbon dioxide -CO2-, nitrogen oxide -NO- and nitrogen dioxide -NO2- detectors manufactured by DURAN ELECTRONICA have been installed. These are 4-20mA detectors provided with an electrochemical sensor for the detection of toxic gases compatible with any system with 4-20mA standard inputs.
For air quality control in the tunnel, equipment distributed by DURAN ELECTRONICA has been installed. – cup, vane and propeller anemometers – products for the measurement of wind speed and direction in the horizontal plane.
All detectors manufactured by DURAN ELECTRONICA have been calibrated in our laboratories and do not need to be calibrated at installation site.