Simulation and IT-Based Modeling for Construction Operations and Infrastructure Systems

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The Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) reported that Canada’s civil infrastructure systems have used over 79% of their expected service life. Municipalities in Canada have noted that 59% of their water systems and 68% of their sewer systems needed repair. Canada’s first infrastructure report card showed that a significant amount of municipal assets rank between “fair” and “very poor”, which averaged to 30%. It also reported that municipal roads have an overall grade of “Fair”, which showed general signs of deterioration with certain elements exhibiting significant deficiencies. Given the current state of Canadian infrastructure, municipalities face challenging decisions to plan the integrated repair/renewal of road, water and sewer (RWS) networks. Although there are several research works, reported in the literature, on construction and rehabilitation of municipal infrastructure systems (MIS), further investigation is needed to assess municipal infrastructure reliability, quantify client/customer driven infrastructure performance, and develop an optimized capital investment plan for the rehabilitation of various elements of MIS. The applicant, capitalizing on his previous and ongoing research works on managing MIS, is planning to investigate this area of research from construction and rehabilitation perspectives. The proposed research involves designing an integrated decision support system (IDSS) to achieve the following main objectives: (1) identify and study the various factors that contribute to reliability (R) and serviceability (S) of MIS; (2) establish integrated models and map R and S; and (3) select the best rehabilitation methods, assess their influence on reliability, and develop an optimized schedule for these methods. The models will be developed using Monte Carlo simulation, web geographical information system (Web-GIS), asset information modeling (AIM), optimization, and decision making techniques. The IDSS will facilitate, using the web as a platform, communication among various levels of municipal management and accelerate their decision-making process. The proposed research will contribute to the state of the art of rehabilitation management of municipal assets in both academic and industrial sectors. It will help academics to design GIS-based AIM, develop integrated reliability and serviceability (R and S) models for MIS networks, and develop the IDSS. It will also assist municipalities to implement preventive procedures to extend the service life of MIS and minimize the overall economic, social, and environmental impact of rehabilitation activities on the Canadian society. This research is deemed essential to the three government tiers (municipal, provincial, and federal) to meet public needs of quality of life, safety, and health.