Conceptual Modeling Framework to Integrate Resilient and Interdependent Infrastructure in Extreme Weather

Abstract

This paper addresses two areas of inquiry: (1) critical infrastructure resilience as recovery and (2) infrastructure interdependencies and dependencies, and both of these areas are evaluated in the context of selected extreme weather events (involving water and wind) related to climate change. The purpose is to address how interdependencies and dependencies among infrastructures relate to resilience in terms of affecting recovery time. A framework for resilient infrastructure in the absence of interdependencies and dependencies from previous research is presented first to understand how negative effects of introducing these relationships may escalate and, in some cases, increase recovery time and complexity, thereby reducing resilience when these extreme conditions occur. Then, resilience and interdependence are combined in the form of a conceptual model to analyze the additional complexity that interdependencies pose for resilience. The model is on the basis of scenarios that portray the relevance of infrastructure relationships in actual types of extreme events, primarily focusing on electric power, transportation, and water infrastructure. This work is relevant to decision makers, planners and operators across a broad spectrum of infrastructure services to support their efforts to reduce adverse consequences of interdependencies and dependencies among these services. It also supports the research base for these activities, for example, for the development and application of models.