An assessment of risk posed by a road transportation of liquefied gases to roadside property is considered. The attention is focussed on an estimation of the probability of thermal damage to a roadside object. Such damage can be caused by a boiling-liquid expanding-vapour explosion (BLEVE) of a road tank. It is suggested to estimate this probability by a combined application of stochastic simulation and deterministic models used to predict a thermal effect of a BLEVE fireball. A development of a fragility function expressing the probability of ignition of the roadside object is discussed. The fragility function is integrated into the simulation-based procedure of an estimation of the thermal damage probability. The approach proposed in this study is illustrated by an example which considers an assessment of thermal damage to a reservoir built in the vicinity of a road used for transportation of liquefied gases.

An assessment of parts of transportation infrastructure in terms of hazards to roadside territory is considered. It is suggested to assess individual segments of road and railway network by estimating risks posed by potential fires and explosions on road and rail. Boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion of tanker trucks and tank cars is identified as the most hazardous and likely high consequence accident in the land transport. It is proposed to express the risk to built roadside objects by means of an annual damage frequency. This frequency is considered to be a specific physical characteristic of the road or railway segment under analysis. It is shown that estimating the damage frequency requires assessing effects of a potential explosion on road or rail and developing a fragility function for the roadside object ana­lysed as a potential target. An example case study is presented. It considers a potential thermal damage to a reservoir (stationary tank) built in the vicinity of a highway. The damage can be caused by an explosion of a propane tanker truck. Results of the risk assessment are expressed in terms of probabilities of specific damage events.

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The dissertation will be defended at the public meeting of the Dissertation Defense Council of Civil Engineering in the Senate Hall of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University at 2 p. m. on