Hazardous materials transportation: a risk-analysis-based routing methodology

This paper introduces a new methodology based on risk analysis for the sele ction of the best route for the transport of a hazardous substance. In orde r to perform this optimisation, the network is considered as a graph compos ed by nodes and arcs; each are is assigned a cost per unit vehicle travelli ng on it and a vehicle capacity. After short discussion about risk measures suitable for linear risk sources, the are capacities are introduced by com parison between the societal and individual risk measures of each are with hazardous materials transportation risk criteria; then are costs are define d in order to take into account both transportation out-of-pocket expenses and risk-related costs. The optimisation problem can thus be formulated as a 'minimum cost now problem', which consists of determining for a specific hazardous substance the cheapest flow distribution, honouring the are capac ities. from the origin nodes to the destination nodes. The main features of the optimisation procedure, implemented on the computer code OPTIPATH, are presented. Test results about shipments of ammonia are discussed and final ly further research developments are proposed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.