Description
The perception, assessment and management of risk are increasingly important core principles for determining the development of both policy and strategic responses to civil and environmental catastrophes. Whereas these principles were once confined to some areas of activity i.e. financial and insurance, they are now widely used in civil and environmental engineering. Comprehensive and readable, Civil and Environmental Risk: Mitigation and Control, provides readers with the mathematical tools and quantitative methods for determining the probability of a catastrophic event and mitigating and controlling the aftermath. With this book engineers develop the required skills for accurately assessing risk and formulating appropriate response strategies. The two part treatment starts with a clear and rigorous exposition of the quantitative risk assessment process, followed by self-contained chapters concerning applications. One of the first books to address both natural and human generated disasters, topics include events such as pandemic diseases, climate changes, major hurricanes, super earthquakes, mega tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, industrial accidents and terrorist attacks. Case studies appear at the end of the book allowing engineers to see how these principles are applied to scenarios such as a super hurricane or mega tsunamis, a reactor core melt down in a nuclear plant, a terrorist attack on the national electric grid, and an abrupt climate change brought about by a change in the ocean currents in the North Atlantic. Written by the current Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, Environmental risk managers will find this reference a valuable and authoritative guide both in accurately calculating risk and its applications in their work.- Mathematical tools for calculating and Controlling Catastrophic Risk- Presents a systematic method for ranking the importance of societal threats- Includes both Natural and Industrial Catastrophes- Case studies cover such events as pandemic diseases, climate changes, major hurricanes, super earthquakes, mega tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, industrial accidents, and terrorist attacks
Table of Contents
PART 1 ? WHY RISK ASSESSMENTChapter 1 ? Understanding Risk Assessement1.1The Target Risks1.2The Quantitative Definition of Risk1.3The Meaning of Quantification1.4Form of the Results of a Quantitative Risk Assessment1.5ReferencesChapter 2 ? Analytical Foundations of Quantitative Risk Assessment2.1Quantitative Definition of Risk2.2The Scenario Approach to Quantitative Risk Assessment2.3Interpretation of Probability and Likelihood2.4Quantification of the Scenarios2.5Assembling the Results2.6ReferencesChapter 3 ? The Rational Management of Catastrophic Risks3.1Benefits of Quantitative Risk Assessment3.2The Role of the Case Studies3.3Comparing Quantitative Risks Using the Case Studies3.4Observations from the Case Studies3.5Insights from Comparing Results3.6Where Do We Go from Here?ReferencesPART 2 ? Risk Assessment Case StudiesChapter 3 ? Risk of a Catastrophic Hurricane in 3.1Summary of the Risk Assessment of a Catastrophic Hurricane Impacting New Orleans, Louisiana3.2Risk Assessment (Based on Data from 1900 to 2004)3.3Commentary on the New Orleans Hurricane Risk3.4Risk Assessment (Based on Data from 1900 to 1950)3.5ReferencesChapter 4- Risk Assessment Nuclear Power 4.1Calculating Likelihoods4.2Structuring the Scenarios4.3Steps That Have Evolved for Integrated Quantitative Risk Assessment4.4Application to Nuclear Power: A Success Story4.5An Example of Nuclear Power Plant Quantitative Risk Assessment Results4.6ReferencesPART 3 ? WORK IN PROGRESS AND FUTURE APPLICATIONSChapter 5 ? Terrorist Attack on the National Electrical Grid5.1Summary of Insights from the Scoping Analysis5.2A Scoping Analysis to Support a Quantitative Risk Assessment of a Specific Terrorist Attack5.3ReferencesChapter 6 ? Abrupt Climate Change6.1Summary of Insights from the Scoping Analysis6.2Scoping Analysis to Support a Quantitative Risk Assessment of Abrupt Climate Change6.3Illustration of Bayesian Analyses for Warming Rates6.4References8.7APPENDICESAppendix A ? Roots of Quantitative Risk Assessment with an ExampleA.1Calculating LikelihoodsA.2Structuring the ScenariosA.3Steps That Have Evolved for Integrated Quantitative Risk AssessmentA.4Application to Nuclear Power: A Success StoryA.5An Example of Nuclear Power Plant Quantitative Risk Assessment ResultsA.6ReferencesAppendix B ? Quantification of Hurricane Risk Supporting EvidenceAppendix C ? Quantification of Asteroid Risk Supporting Evidence
