Vulnerability Analysis of Road Networks

Abstract

Vulnerability of road networks measures the total loss of the network caused by sudden attack with consideration of the interactions among the units and the conscious external influences. When evaluating the vulnerability of the road network, reciprocity among units and the recovery ability of the network should be considered. The paper presents a method for vulnerability evaluation on the basis of the conception and the analysis model of the road network vulnerability. It examines the network vulnerability through final travel time loss of road user and takes sufficient consideration of the structure of the network, traffic flow state and the setting of the rescue center. A simple case study is conducted to illustrate the approach and some suggestions are proposed in terms of adding or rebuilding roads and re-locating the rescue sites.