Design of Interconnected Infrastructure Systems for Resilient and Sustainable Communities

Resilient and sustainable infrastructure, including buildings, bridges, and lifeline systems, plays a central role in the socio-economic development of our communities. Regardless of size and population number, communities rely on critical infrastructure to serve their basic needs during normal circumstances and in the aftermath of a natural disaster (e.g., earthquake, hurricane, tornado, and flooding). The failure of one of these infrastructure systems might provoke service disruption in other infrastructure, impacting postdisaster management operations and interrupting daily activities in the whole community. This work investigates the interconnection between infrastructure and its relation to community resilience through use of examples. First, case studies of critical interconnected infrastructure, such as natural gas lines and power transmission systems, are discussed. Then, the effects of the failure of a single infrastructure system on the whole infrastructure network and on the community are analyzed. Finally, design recommendations on how to holistically enhance the critical infrastructure are presented.