Existing Embankment Structures Vulnerability: A Rapid Assessment Method

The paper defines a vulnerability index for embankment structures (VIES) that can be easily determined through a vulnerability data sheet. This sheet has been developed by taking into account various failure mechanisms and a number of abacuses, available in literature. Moreover it has been calibrated against a number of case histories of failures. It is structured so that it can be completed by anyone other than highly specialized, even in the absence of an accurate technical documentation and it consists of two levels (I and II). By filling out the level I, it is possible to rank qualitatively all the existing embankment structures into "non- vulnerable" and "potentially vulnerable". For the latter, by completing the Level II the vulnerability can be quantitatively calculated through "the VIES index" whose value is between 0 and 100. Embankments vulnerability can be used, among other things, also to draw-up flood risk management plans (required by EU Directive 2007/60, to be completed by December of 2015), allowing priority to perceive the actual degree of risk in the territories located on the back of the embankment structures and to program afterwards an overall economic, efficient and effective flood risk management, as well as to achieve the goals of reducing this risk (in line with the provisions of Paragraph 2 of Article 8 and Annex I to Directive 2007/60) in order of priority according to the value of the vulnerability index proposed.