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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Gaihua Fu, Professor Sean Wilkinson, Professor Richard DawsonORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Infrastructure networks play an important role in improving economic prosperity, enabling movement of resources and protecting communities from hazards. As these networks serve population, they evolve in response to social, economic, environmental and technological changes. Consideration of these interactions has thus far been limited by use of simplified datasets and idealised network structures, and is unable to explain the complexity and sub-optimal structures displayed by real infrastructure networks. This paper presents a new computational model that simulates the growth and evolution of infrastructure systems. Empirical evidence obtained from analysis of non-trivial real world datasets is used to identify the mechanisms that guide and govern system-scale evolution of infrastructure networks. The model investigates the interplay of three key drivers, namely network demand, network efficiency and network cost in shaping infrastructure network architectures. The validity of the model is verified by comparing key topological and spatial properties of simulated networks with real world networks from six infrastructure sectors. The model is used to develop and explore different scenarios of infrastructure network futures, and their resilience is shown to change as a result of different infrastructure management policies. The model can therefore be used to identify system-wide infrastructure engineering strategies to reduce network costs, increase network efficiency and improve the resilience of infrastructure networks to disruptive events.
Author(s): Fu G, Wilkinson S, Dawson R
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering
Year: 2016
Volume: 31
Issue: 9
Pages: 661-680
Print publication date: 01/09/2016
Online publication date: 01/06/2016
Acceptance date: 24/02/2016
Date deposited: 01/04/2016
ISSN (print): 1093-9687
ISSN (electronic): 1467-8667
Publisher: Wiley
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mice.12204
DOI: 10.1111/mice.12204
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