Seismic risk assessment of transportation utilities in Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

Abstract Regarding passenger safety and road serviceability, the effects of earthquakes on underground transportation systems situated in seismically active regions yield a great challenge. The 345 km long Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project in Jammu and Kashmir is a railway track with underground tunnels that traverses the tectonically active area of the northwestern part of the Himalayas under difficult geological conditions. In this study, the Semi-Quantitative Seismic Risk Assessment (SQ-SRA) approach has been used to evaluate the seismic risk and post-seismic serviceability of this project. Out of the three alignment phases, the first one is accessible, the center one is accessible but requires repair, and the last one is inaccessible, according to the risk matrices. The majority of the tunnel sections in the last phase are situated near zones prone to landslides and large tectonic sources, and they also include extensively weathered rock mass, resulting in deformation, squeezing and cavity formation during the excavation process. The progressive effect of these issues increases the probability that these tunnels may get extensive damage, which would render the track segment inoperable under post-seismic conditions. The risk matrices and maps provided will serve as a valuable tool for directing track operations.