Optimization of Post-Earthquake Road Network Debris Removal Activities with Dynamic Spanning Tree

Disaster management is a field that has attracted the attention of scientists for many years. Debris management, which is a subcategory of disaster management, is an increasingly popular research topic in the field of operations research in recent years. Nevertheless, the literature on quantitative decision-making models for debris clearance and collection is relatively new and limited (Çelik, 2016). Debris clearance involves the temporary removal of debris from the road to allow vehicle traffic, reach affected areas and help people in need, and is of paramount importance for post-disaster response. By clearing the debris from the roads, activities such as search and rescue, first response, distribution of humanitarian aid and access to temporary accommodation facilities can be maintained without interruption. Therefore, debris clearance requires an analytical decision-making process. The goal of this project is the planning of debris clearance activities, which remove the debris from the roads temporarily within a few days after an earthquake, to increase the accessibility of the affected region.