Mapping urban infrastructure interdependencies and fuzzy risks

• Published in: Procedia engineering 2018, Vol.212, p.816-823
• Main Authors: Evans, Barry, Chen, Albert S., Prior, Alison, Djordjevic, Slobodan, Savic, Dragan A., Butler, David, Goodey, Patrick, Stevens, John R., Colclough, Graham
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: cascading effects; critical infrasttructure (CI); flood resilience; interconnectivity; multisectorial approach
• ISSN: 1877-7058; 1877-7058
• DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2018.01.105

In this study, we considered the relationships between different types of CI and services to simulate possible cascading effects during extreme hazard conditions brought on by climate change and how to analyse impacts with limited data resources. An area in central Bristol, UK, was used as the case study to investigate the interdependencies among select assets and services. A wide range of plausible scenarios caused by pipe bursts in the area were simulated using the CADDIES 2D modelling framework, to identify the hotspots with high risk. The impact on CI, including water supply, electricity, wastewater, solid waste, transportation, telecommunication, and emergency services were assessed by the HAZUR tool. The analysis demonstrated that with limited data resources the dynamics of the interdependencies between CI networks can be highlighted and a basis of risk quantification can be established. The same procedure can be repeated to evaluate the impact of other types of hazards, or the compound hazard scenarios to provide a holistic assessment. Therefore, urban planners and managers can further explore options of interventions for setting up strategies to strengthen city resilience.