Vulnerability Assessment of Infrastructure Networks by Using Hierarchical Decomposition Methods

Socioeconomic development and sustainability highly depend on the construction and operation of infrastructure networks. Therefore, robustness, reliability, and resiliency of infrastructure networks are vital to the economy, security and wellbeing of any country. When exposed to natural or man-made hazards, the estimation of the vulnerability and the extent of damage, potentially caused to infrastructure networks, is a complex and computationally expensive task. This paper presents a model that combines a systems approach with strategies for detecting community structures within networks to make vulnerability estimates. Then, by means of a clustering-based decomposition, a hierarchical representation of the network is derived. This is used to obtain information (i.e., evidence) at different levels of abstraction avoiding the complexity and computational cost of a full evaluation of the network. This simplified model of the network favors the efficient assessment of risk and vulnerability for decision-making regarding, for instance, resource allocation and risk mitigation. In this paper, the conceptual foundations and the practical implementation of the proposed model are presented and discussed. Furthermore, the applicability and the challenges of the model are presented through a practical application.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1061/41170(400)26
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780784411704
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Copyright © 2011 ASCE
• Authors:
  • Go´mez, C
  • Buritica´, J
  • Sanchez-Silva, M
  • Duen˜as-Osorio, L
• Conference:
  • The ICVRAM 2011 and ISUMA 2011 Conferences: Vulnerability, Uncertainty, and Risk: Analysis, Modeling, and Management
  • Location: Hyattsville MD, United States
  • Date: 2011-4-11 to 2011-4-13
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Decomposition; Infrastructure; Networks; Risk analysis; Security; Socioeconomic development; Sustainable development
• Subject Areas: Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01347366
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 978-0-7844-1170-4
• Files: TRIS, ASCE
• Created Date: Aug 8 2011 2:12PM