Analysis of hydraulic and geomorphic conditions causing railway embankment breach due to inundation flow

Journal of Hyrdaulic and Hyrdoscience Engineering, JSCE, Vol.30, No.1, pp.87-99, 2012.5.

Ryota Tsubaki: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hiroshima University, Higashi-hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan

Yoshihisa Kawahara: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hiroshima University, Higashi-hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan

Takahiro Sayama: International Center for Water Hazard and Risk Management, Public Works Research Institute, Minamihara, Tsukuba,

Japan

and

Ichiro Fujita: Department of Civil Engineering, Kobe University, Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, Japan

Abstract

Embankments on a floodplain, usually treated as solid walls in inundation simulations can cause considerable damage during severe flood events. The damage to road or railway embankment system not only changes the propagation of inundation flow but also destroys the transportation infrastructure. In this study, the failure of the embankment system of the Kishin Railway Line during the flood event in August, 2009 is analyzed. The factors in causing embankment failure are analyzed from the geographic and hydraulic view points. A framework to estimate the risk of the embankment failure, which is based on the analysis of the structures of the geography and inundation flow, is proposed in this work.

Keywords

railway embankment • embankment breach • inundation flow

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