Promotion of Road Tunnel Condensation Prevention... Strengthening Ventilation Facilities and Insulation

Promoting the Introduction of Design Standards to Alleviate Public Anxiety

Comparison Photos of Water Ingress Phenomenon in Boryeong Undersea Tunnel

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 27th that it plans to establish related standards to prevent condensation from the design stage for future road tunnels to be constructed.

In June, moisture was observed on the walls and floor of the Boryeong Undersea Tunnel. The Ministry, together with experts, held two advisory meetings and conducted on-site investigations, revealing that the phenomenon was due to condensation rather than leakage from the tunnel walls. Following expert recommendations, jet fans were operated and dehumidifiers installed inside the tunnel to remove moisture, resulting in the current state where moisture on the floor and walls has been almost eliminated.

The Ministry explained, "Taking this condensation occurrence as an opportunity, although condensation does not affect the structural safety of the tunnel, it can cause anxiety for drivers using the tunnel. Therefore, we judged that it is necessary to more closely identify the causes and actively resolve the issue."

The Ministry plans to continuously monitor factors causing condensation such as humidity and temperature inside operating road tunnels, including the Boryeong Undersea Tunnel, and to take proactive measures such as actively operating jet fans when condensation is expected to prevent its occurrence.

Although no cases have been confirmed where overseas design standards for road tunnels reflect measures to prevent condensation, expert consultations suggest that reinforcing ventilation facilities and enhancing insulation could be incorporated into design standards.

The Ministry stated, "Even before revising related standards, road tunnel projects scheduled for implementation, such as the Namhae-Yeosu Undersea Tunnel, will incorporate measures to prevent condensation in their designs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.