Systemic Seismic Vulnerability of Transportation Networks and Emergency Facilities

Abstract

In the aftermath of an earthquake, structural damage and debris represent major obstructions to the mobility of evacuees and first responders and to normal economic activities. Few studies have integrated the performance of urban road networks with obstructions from structural damage and its impact on systemic vulnerability toward evacuation and emergency response operations. In this study, procedures to evaluate some of the impacts of debris have been proposed. A probabilistic model is developed and validated to estimate roadside debris generated during an earthquake and to evaluate the impact on systemic vulnerability. LaSalle, a borough of Montreal city, is taken as a case study. Systemic vulnerability of transportation networks and emergency facilities depends on the level of traffic in the road network, roadway capacity, proximity, robustness and redundancy of the emergency facilities, and the vulnerability of the built environment. The results from this analysis can be used to identify critical components and prioritize retrofits to the road network and the localization of emergency facilities and to prepare alternate emergency response plans.