Review and analysis of vehicle stability models during floods and proposal for future improvements

Abstract

Flood water can affect vehicles significantly, which in turn can increase the negative effects of floods as vehicles are washed away by the flow and become a form of debris. In cities, most fatalities during floods occur inside vehicles. Consequently, it is necessary to establish thresholds for vehicle stability during this type of event to provide information necessary for flood risk management. This article analyses the available stability models developed over recent years to determine such thresholds. The stability models were grouped according to the way in which they approached car watertightness and the stability thresholds proposed by each of them were compared. It was found that these thresholds vary over a relatively wide range. Additionally, the experimental data were compared with the results provided by these studies leading to the conclusion that several of the stability models analysed do not fit measured data well. New research is required to overcome the simplifications made by the state-of-the-art models and to try to standardise the decision criteria which should be adopted to define stability thresholds for vehicles of different characteristics. K E Y W O R D Scar watertightness, floods, safety criteria, vehicle stability

Victims crossing overflowing watercourses with vehicles in Spain

“…However, drivers perceive their cars as heavy and stable; water forces, which cause vehicle sliding and buoyancy, are not evident. Vehicle stability on flooded roads depends on water depth and velocity; several studies analyse these factors (Martínez‐Gomariz et al, 2017; Martínez‐Gomariz, Gómez, Russo, & Djordjević, 2018; Shah, Mustaffa, Martínez‐Gomariz, Yusof, & Al‐Qadami, 2019; Shah, Mustaffa, Martínez‐Gomariz, Yusof, & Al‐Qadami, 2019; Shah, Mustaffa, Martínez‐Gomariz, Kim, et al, 2019; Smith et al, 2019; Bocanegra, Vallés‐Morán, & Francés, 2020). Horizontal water force may produce vehicle sliding, and with a depth around 0.60 m water floating may occur (Kramer, Terheiden, & Wieprecht, 2016); the depth increases buoyancy and reduces the force required to move the vehicles (Smith et al, 2019).…”

Intensifying rehabilitation of combined sewer systems using trenchless technology in combination with low impact development and green infrastructure

“…A combination of parameters water velocity and water depth can lead to injuries (Martínez-Gomariz et al 2016). Vehicles can move in the water flow at speeds from over 0.48 m/s at varying water depths, depending on the type of vehicle (Bocanegra Vallés-Morán & Francés 2020). With rapid surface runoff, stormwater will not be able to infiltrate.…”

Flood Hazard Assessment in Data-Scarce Watersheds Using Model Coupling, Event Sampling, and Survey Data

“…Accordingly, the maximum water depths in the floodplains were approximately 2 m and 4 m in the Bellavista and El Tereré neighborhoods, respectively, while the maximum water depth in the main channel was 8.5 m. The maximum flow velocity in the floodplains, on the other hand, was approximately 3 m/s across both neighborhoods, while in the main channel, a maximum of 9.4 m/s was reached (Figure 7). These areas with medium and high flood intensities may represent a threat to individuals and hinder evacuation and rescue tasks, given that at a water depth of at least 0.3 m and a flow velocity of 2.0 m/s, humans and cars become unstable [88,89]. Moreover, a water depth of 1.5 m may represent a damage factor of 0.84 on South American residential buildings [90].…”