Debris Flow Risk to Roads and Road Users

Authors

  • Mike Winter Winter Associates Limited Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64862/

Keywords:

Debris flow, Road, Hazard, Risk

Abstract

Fast-moving, rainfall-induced debris flow events are relatively common in the mountainous areas of the UK. These events present significant hazards to transport networks, particularly roads in remote areas. The latter often follow historic routes that were created without consideration of the extant hazards and their resulting risks. Such risks include the loss of utility of the network and associated damage to the infrastructure, the risk of fatality of road users, and the loss of socio-economic opportunities for the communities that are served by such networks. In this extended abstract and presentation, a brief overview is given of the various risk types.

References

Argyroudis, S. A., Mitoulis, S. A., Winter, M. G., and Kaynia, A. M. (2019). Fragility of transport assets exposed to multiple hazards: State-of-the-art review toward infrastructure resilience. Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 191, 106564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2019.106567

Winter, M. G. (2024). The John Mitchell Lecture 2023: Road asset, socioeconomic and fatality risk from debris flow. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 57 (2), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1144/qjegh2023-167

Winter, M. G., and Bromhead, E. N. (2012). Landslide risk: Some issues that determine societal acceptance. Natural Hazards, 62 (2), 169–187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-011-9987-1

Winter, M. G., and Wong, J. C. F. (2020). The assessment of quantitative risk to road users from debris flow. Geoenvironmental Disasters, 7 (4), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40677-019-0140-x

Winter, M. G., Harrison, M., Macgregor, F., and Shackman, L. (2013). Landslide hazard assessment and ranking on the Scottish road network. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Geotechnical Engineering, 166 (6), 522–539. https://doi.org/10.1680/geng.12.00063

Winter, M. G., Heald, A. P., Parsons, J. A., Macgregor, F., and Shackman, L. (2006). Scottish debris flow events of August 2004. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 39 (1), 73–78. https://doi.org/10.1144/1470-9236/05-049

Winter, M. G., Macgregor, F., and Shackman, L. (Eds.). (2005). Scottish road network landslides study (119 p.). Trunk Roads: Network Management Division Published Report Series. The Scottish Executive, Edinburgh.

Winter, M. G., Macgregor, F., and Shackman, L. (Eds.). (2008). Scottish road network landslides study: Implementation (278 p.). Transport Scotland Published Report Series. Transport Scotland, Edinburgh.

Winter, M. G., Peeling, D., Palmer, D., and Peeling, J. (2019). Economic impacts of landslides and floods on a road network. AUC Geographica, 54 (2), 207–220. https://doi.org/10.14712/23361980.2019.18

Winter, M. G., Smith, J. T., Fotopoulou, S., Pitilakis, K., Mavrouli, O., Corominas, J., and Argyroudis, S. (2014). An expert judgement approach to determining the physical vulnerability of roads to debris flow. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 73 (2), 291–305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-014-0570-3

Winter, M. G., Waaser, T., and Fiddes, G. (2024). Quantitative risk assessment for static and mobile road users: Methodology and application at A82 Glen Coe, Scotland. Geoenvironmental Disasters, 11 (12), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40677-024-00274-9

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Published

2025-11-27

Data Availability Statement

There is no specific data set relevant to this submission.

How to Cite

Debris Flow Risk to Roads and Road Users. (2025). Asian Journal of Engineering Geology, 2(Sp Issue), 7-8. https://doi.org/10.64862/

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