Underground Pipeline Leakage Risk Assessment in an Urban City

Shing-Yu Chen; Ming-Sheng Lin; Gary Li-Kai Hsiao; Tzu-Chi Wang; Chen-Shan Kao

doi:10.3390/ijerph17113929

Underground Pipeline Leakage Risk Assessment in an Urban City

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jun 2;17(11):3929. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17113929.

Authors

Shing-Yu Chen^{1

2}, Ming-Sheng Lin², Gary Li-Kai Hsiao³, Tzu-Chi Wang⁴, Chen-Shan Kao⁵

Affiliations

¹ Program in Materials and Chemical Engineering, National United University, Miaoli 36003, Taiwan.
² Environmental Incidents Specialist Team, Taipei 24765, Taiwan.
³ Department of Disaster Management, Taiwan Police College, Taipei 11696, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Engineering, Chinese Culture University, Taipei 11114, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National United University, Miaoli 36003, Taiwan.

Abstract

Underground pipeline safety is a concern among civilians in populated urban cities. Due to the potential for considerable damage from underground pipeline leakages, it is critical to identify potential risk areas. This study developed a simplified risk value using risk assessment software (ALOHA) and geography information systems (SuperGIS and Surfer) to produce potential risk maps for underground pipeline leakage in a major urban city. A risk assessment of areas affected by underground pipeline leakage was performed for vapor diffusion, thermal radiation from combustion, and overpressure from an explosion. The results are applicable to disaster management departments and agencies in highly populated cities.

Keywords: ALOHA; SuperGIS; emergency response; risk assessment; underground pipeline.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cities
Disasters*
Risk Assessment*