Natural risk assessment in Chilean road network

Chile is a country that year by year spends a relevant part of its national budget repairing damages in its road network induced by natural disasters. Besides, very different natural hazards affect the road network due to the big diversity of climatic and morphologic areas of the country. Typical hazards existent in the country are river flooding due to "Invierno Altiplanico", earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and flooding due to snowstorms. In addition, the country is highly vulnerable to the effects of El Niño and La Niña global climatic phenomena that cause intensive rains in winter and thaw in summer. Because the country is long, tiny and mountainous, the road network has a spatial configuration of a mixture of a fishbone and a fan, providing just a few alternative routes that cross numerous rivers, and increasing road vulnerability to natural hazards. In the context of risk management, a relevant step is the assessment of risk because it permits one to define target risk and mitigation measurements. The aim of this paper is to discuss the road risk index developed in Chile. The index is based is based on the concepts of exposition, vulnerability, strategic relevance of roads, roads hierarchy, accessibility, traffic level and existence of alternative routes. The index was computed for Chilean roads with disruption records provided by the Chilean Highways Agency ranging between the years 1990 and 2009. A total of 799 roads were considered in the analysis.The risk index was categorized in three levels by means of a clustering method, and a ranking of roads that need a more detailed assessment were identified. A complete database was designed and implemented in a Geographic Information System. It was concluded that the risk index developed is a useful tool for road planning and specifically for selecting roads that need immediate attention, more detailed studies or do nothing. In addition, the method provides general hints for including risk concepts in road asset management systems.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.piarc.org/en/order-library/13949-en-Proceedings%20of%20the%20XXIVth%20World%20Road%20Congress,%20Mexico%20-%202011.htm
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of the World Road Association – PIARC.
• Corporate Authors:

  World Road Association (PIARC)

  La Grande Arche, Paroi Nord, Niveau 5
  F-92055 La Defense Cedex,   France 
• Authors:
  • Echaveguren, Tomas
  • Azocar, Gerardo
  • Felez, Jorge
  • Sanhueza, Rodrigo
• Conference:
  • 24th World Road Congress
  • Location: Mexico City , Mexico
  • Date: 2011-9-26 to 2011-9-30
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 13p
• Monograph Title: 24th World Road Congress Proceedings: Roads for a Better Life: Mobility, Sustainability and Development

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Hazards; Highways; Mathematical models; Risk assessment; Risk management; Roads; Weather conditions
• Uncontrolled Terms: Road networks
• Geographic Terms: Chile
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Security and Emergencies; I15: Environment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01506037
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 2840602679
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 29 2014 1:51PM