Comparative analysis of inundation flow patterns and flood risk assessment methods within subway stations

In this study, quasi-3D inundation flow simulations were conducted for a simplified subway station configuration. The effects of variations in rainwater inflow locations and discharge were investigated, analyzing the resulting inundation flow patterns and flood risk. The inundation simulation results calculated the incipient velocities for slipping and toppling accidents to assess pedestrian safety. The results indicated that velocities exceeding the incipient velocity for slipping accidents mainly occurred on the flooded staircase. Meanwhile, velocities surpassing the incipient toppling accidents were observed around the staircase and the corridor near the staircase leading to B2F. This observation is consistent with the results from the specific force distribution analysis. To provide detailed flood risk assessments, the Flood Hazard Degree (FD) was applied with four levels of criteria, along with the Flood Intensity Factor (FIF). The results demonstrated that FD identified a broader area at risk of flood-induced consequences compared to FIF. When comparing the different inundation risk assessment methods, the specific force method tended to overestimate the risk area, whereas FIF tended to underestimate it. Furthermore, among all assessment methods, the influence of rainwater discharge was found to have a more dominant effect on flood risk assessment compared to the number of rainwater inflow locations. Additionally, the direction of inundation flow influenced the assessed risk, with collision-induced flow patterns leading to higher flood risk than those with identical flow directions.