Multi-dimensional Resilience Assessment and Resource Allocation for Interdependent Infrastructure Systems

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Health & safety, and economic prosperity of the citizens of Canada are ensured with services provided by core public infrastructure. Integrity, survivability, reliability, and resiliency of drinking water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems allow people to have a sense of security. These infrastructures are aging faster as result of impacting factors such as low funding, population growth, tighter health and environmental requirements, poor quality control leading to inferior installation, inadequate inspection and maintenance, and lack of consistency and uniformity in planning, design, construction, and operational practices. Moreover, disruptive events like flood, wildfire, earthquake are adversely impact multiple networked systems. Managing these infrastructures is not only a technical issue; rather it includes issues like finance, public acceptance, and environmental impacts. Thus, the vision of this research program is to plan sustainable and resilient buried infrastructure systems through preparedness, response, and recovery. My first objective is to develop the framework for water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems resilience analysis. In this research, different heuristic-based techniques will be developed to integrate the matrices of resilience analysis. To consider the complex and causal relationships between different buried infrastructure systems, my second objective is to develop a multi-dimensional resilience analysis framework using different network-based approaches considering uncertainties. The third objective of this research program is to develop a multi-objective resource allocation model to understand the trade-offs among resources available and the resilience achieved through investments in vulnerability reduction and recoverability enhancements enabling planning for resilience. The last objective of this research program is to evaluate the economic effects of resource shortages over a period and the time-dependent recovery of buried infrastructures. The outcomes of this research will significantly improve the buried infrastructure management practices of Canada and support the utilities to recover from natural disasters or unwanted disruptions effectively. This unique research program will also contribute to the training of highly qualified engineers and scientists with a diverse set of skills sustainable and resilient infrastructure which will benefit Canadian private and public research. These projects will also educate and train graduate and undergraduate students in resilient systems, infrastructure management, and risk and uncertainty.