Flood and storm management in the exploitation and use of railway infrastructure in Vietnam

Flood and storm management in the exploitation and use of railway infrastructure in Vietnam (Illustrative Image)

Article 18 of Circular 01/2010/TT-BGTVT stipulates the prevention of floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters for railway infrastructure under exploitation and utilization as follows:

Management work includes regular, periodic, and special inspections and maintenance according to established policies that inherently contain content on flood and storm prevention, incident, and natural disaster management for the infrastructure and must be strictly executed. Regular monitoring, recording, and updating of hydrological data must be conducted and archived adequately.

Important items related to flood and storm prevention, incidents, and natural disaster management can be classified by types of infrastructure as follows:

- For minor bridges, culverts, and tunnels:

- For minor bridges, it is essential first to clear the flow to allow good drainage. The vulnerable parts of the bridge such as the abutment cone, bridge approach, and joints between the bridge approach and abutment must be regularly inspected and repaired. If the bridge has a shallow foundation, the riverbed erosion level must be checked, and erosion control measures must be considered.

- For transverse drainage culverts, the culvert bed must be cleared and upstream and downstream structures of the culvert maintained;

- For railway tunnels: Clear the longitudinal and apex drainage channels of the tunnels, relining damaged sections of the channels. Inspect and reinforce areas of the tunnel that have eroded, accumulated water, or are leaking.

- For major and intermediate bridges:

Before the flood and storm season, cross-section measurements of the riverbed at intermediate and major bridges should be organized.

Serious inspections, maintenance, and repairs of damages to the bridge structures must be conducted, particularly for parts directly affected by floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters, additionally:

- For river bridges where storms and floods often cause driftwood and debris to impact the piers, causing damage, protection piers must be built upstream to prevent driftwood issues. These protection piers must be repaired annually to be effective during floods.

- For bridges in use for over 50 years, it is necessary to study hydrological and hydraulic changes in the water flow due to the impact of global climate change as well as the destruction of human-influenced ecosystems in recent years, which can threaten the safety of the infrastructure. If such risks arise, appropriate measures must be taken.

- For railways:

The following items related to flood and storm prevention, incident, and natural disaster management must be executed seriously:

- Clearing of culverts and drainage channels, including longitudinal and apex channels. Dredging sand, mud, and debris; cutting trees, and weeding to ensure the drainage section of the channel. Creating road slope for water drainage into channels or downhill slopes, ensuring a continuous slope for channels to converge water into collection pits and drain it out of the road area. Reinforce erosion control at upstream and downstream drainage culverts;

- Treating roadbed slopes to prevent landslides. Slope trimming, filling, creating a flat surface, stability, and drainage capability for the slope surface, cutting trees grown on the slope crest. Treating underground water leakage on the slope surface (if any), paving the slope with stones;

- Enhancing the stability of the elevated roadbed. During floods and storms, some cut-road sections may be submerged, or water may temporarily overflow the road. At those times, it is necessary to enhance the stability of the roadbed and slopes by constructing embankment slopes on both sides of the roadbed and reinforcing the edges and road surface with good materials.

- Architectural structures:

- Cleaning roof water gutters, drainage pipes, and manholes of houses;

- Inspecting and repairing leaking houses. Planning the reinforcement of weak houses that are unsafe during the storm season;

- Repairing damaged, waterlogged platforms, station yards, and freight yards.

- Information and signal infrastructure:

- Clearing safety corridors for power lines and signal visibility;

- Replacing damaged poles, cross-arms, and broken wires. Supplementing missing guy wires. Rebuilding washed-out pole bases.

- Inspecting and handling grounding and lightning protection systems for machinery equipment and exchanges to ensure safety during storm seasons;

- Repairing damaged information and signal equipment, ensuring proper usage during floods and storms;

- Planning fire and short-circuit prevention for signal equipment in waterlogged areas.

See more details at: Circular 01/2010/TT-BGTVT, effective from February 25, 2010.

Nguyen Phu

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