Traffic Function Loss of Highway Lifelines during Major Natural Disasters

Abstract

Highway lifelines would suffer different levels and types of damage when major natural disasters happen, which would influence traffic and reduce highway reliability. This paper focused on highway damage, traffic impact, and connection reliability. The author analyzed the failure modes of the highway traffic lifeline during major natural disasters in China, studied the influence of highway damage on traffic, and put forward the definition of traffic function loss of highway traffic lifeline. And according to the difference of traffic function loss under various kinds of highway damages, the traffic function loss types were raised. Then, the traffic function loss was classified into four grades based on traffic function loss degree. Finally, the correlativity between traffic function loss and connected reliability of highway lifeline was established. The paper considered the influence of highway damage on connected reliability from the perspective of traffic function loss, and the research results would provide new ideas for connected reliability analysis of highway lifeline during major natural disasters.