Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

5-2009

School/College

College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (COSET)

Degree Name

MS in Transportation Planning & Management

First Advisor

Dr. Lei Yu

Abstract

Petrochemical materials goods used in the manufacturing and production of many consumer products are moved on the United States' transportation network daily. These goods are included under the category of hazardous materials (HAZMAT). An estimated 800,000 shipments of HAZMAT occur every day. Data analysis and simulations can indicate patterns of incidents by using several different variables in the transport of these chemicals. Identifying the frequency enhances the pattern recognition to pinpoint potential dangerous situations. These situations could cause potential harm to the nation's critical infrastructure. Annual data are analyzed from the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA), an agency that protects the public and environment by insuring the safe and secure movement of hazardous material goods. These results produced High Incident Zones (HIZ). The variables chosen from the original PHMSA 1 2 data include analysis of the date, time, location, and mode. Frequency clusters are used to identify overlapping incidents. The data show potential clusters of incidents consistently towards late afternoon and during the summer months. Comparing the data before the categorization indicates overlapping HIZ even though these incidents happen while vehicles are in transit. This research shows there is an opportunity to mitigate potential problems in the transport of petrochemicals or other hazardous materials which could provide vital insight • or officials regarding potential infrastructure sections that may have vulnerability.

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