Entrance/Exit Characteristics-Driven Flood Risk Assessment of Urban Underground Garages Under Extreme Rainfall Scenarios

Abstract

Under the frequent occurrence of urban waterlogging disasters globally, underground spaces, due to their unique environmental conditions and structural vulnerabilities, are facing growing flood pressure, resulting in substantial economic losses that hinder sustainable urban development. This study focused on a high-density urban area in China, investigating surface waterlogging conditions under rainfall characteristics as the primary driver of flooding. Focusing on the main nodes—entrances and exits—within the waterlogging disaster chain of underground garages, a risk assessment framework was constructed that encompasses three key dimensions: the attributes of extreme rainfall, the structural characteristics of entrances/exits, and emergency response capacities. Subsequently, a waterlogging risk assessment was conducted for selected underground garages in the study area under a 100-year return period extreme rainfall scenario. The results revealed that the flood depth at entrances/exits and the structural height of entrances/exits are the primary factors influencing flood risk in urban underground garages. Under this simulation scenario, 37.5% of the entrances and exits exhibited varying degrees of flood risk. The assessment framework and indicator system developed in this study provide valuable insights for flood risk evaluation in underground garage systems and offer decision-makers a more scientific and robust foundation for formulating improvement measures.