There are many technologies available today in terms of fire and life safety in road tunnels. So many in fact that it is becoming more and more difficult for clients and contractors alike to determine what they want and what they need._x000D_
From a client's perspective, fire and life safety is about protection to its infrastructure and to the public at large. Conversely, the contractor is looking to meet its fit for purpose' or deem to comply' requirements in the most economic and practicable way._x000D_
Practices regarding fire and life safety in road tunnels have undergone a degree of transformation during the last decade or more throughout the world._x000D_
This transformation has largely been driven by a series of catastrophic accidents such as the major fires in Europe including the Mont Blanc Tunnel, Tauern Tunnel, Saint-Gothard Tunnel, and now most recently in the CityLink Tunnels in Melbourne._x000D_
International guidelines produced by organisations such as the Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC), the European Union, the International Tunnelling Association (ITA) and the US National Fire Protection Authority (NFPA) now provide clients, owners and designers with the tools required to define and specify the required fire and life safety systems in road tunnels. The majority of these tools are based on risk assessment and risk management._x000D_
Recent road tunnel projects within Australia, however, have not referred solely to such guidelines. Clients have opted to prescribe different or additional fire and life safety requirements within the project's technical specification documentation (project requirements), leaving designers and contractors with little room to implement alternatives or substitutions._x000D_
Further, these project requirements are largely dictated by practice established on previous road tunnel projects within Australia._x000D_
This paper looks at the current international guidelines and practices and undertakes a comparison with the EastLink tunnels in Melbourne and other road tunnels within Australia and makes assessment on whether Australian methods are the most appropriate for clients and contractors alike. Focus is directed to the key elements of fire and life safety such as: traffic envelope, barrier arrangements and emergency walkway provisions; deluge systems; drainage systems; fire rating requirements; tunnel ventilation systems; cross passage provisions; fire safety assessment; critical intelligence systems including help phones, CCTV, incident detection, tunnel signage, etc; and external tunnel control systems.