Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
10359360 Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies 2011 13 Pages PDF
Abstract
Hazardous materials (hazmat) are potentially harmful to people and environment due to their toxic ingredients. Although a significant portion of hazmat is transported via railroads, prevailing studies on dangerous goods focus on highway shipments. In this work, we develop a risk assessment methodology that takes into consideration the differentiating features of trains and the characteristics of train accident. The proposed approach incorporates train-length, train-decile position of hazmat railcar, the sequence of events leading to hazmat release, and the associated consequence from ruptured railcars. Freight-train derailment reports of the Federal Railroad Administration were analyzed to both get a better understanding of the problem, and also to propose a more precise assessment methodology. The assessment methodology, which includes Bayes Theorem and Logical Diagrams, were used to study a US based case example, which was further analyzed to gain relevant managerial insights.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Computer Science Computer Science Applications
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