A Methodological Framework for the Resilience Analysis of Road Transport Networks Exposed to Freezing Rain

Abstract

Road transport network is one of the major critical infrastructures to be maintained resilient, since its disruption would not only have direct economic consequences, but it could also lead to domino effects on other critical infrastructures. This study proposes a methodological framework for the analysis of the resilience of road transport networks exposed to natural hazards, in particular to freezing rain, that is a precipitation event wherein the supercooled droplets of rain freeze upon contact with any surface, creating a glaze of ice and contributing, in particular, to icy roads conditions. A numerical example is presented that considers a road transportation network exposed to freezing rain, whose probability of occurrence is estimated using historical meteorological conditions; the network disruption and recovery are evaluated for the resilience analysis of the selected road transport infrastructure.