Article: Stochastic simulation methodology for resilience assessment of water distribution networks Journal: International Journal of Critical Infrastructures (IJCIS) 2014 Vol.10 No.2 pp.134 - 150 Abstract: Water distribution systems enable social and economic development and sustain people quality of life. However, these systems face significant performance challenges including ageing, natural disruptive events, and man-made disruptions. Physical protection of networked infrastructure distributed over large geographical areas is unfeasible. A cost-effective alternative is to enhance the water distribution system resilience: ensuring reduced system damage in case of disruption, and enhancing system capacity to recover lost performance within acceptable time and cost limits. This paper presents a novel network-based methodology to evaluate resilience of water distribution systems. This methodology utilises stochastic simulation on a network model to generate statistical data on the resilience probability of the actual water infrastructure system. The methodology is a management decision support tool for enhancing system preparedness, enabling acceptable recovery parameters, and improving the evaluation of capital investment alternatives. The network-based approach can be extended to complex networks integrating physical and non-physical assets. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Stochastic simulation methodology for resilience assessment of water distribution networks

Authors: Leon F. Gay; Sunil K. Sinha

Addresses: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, VA, 24060, USA ' Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, VA, 24060, USA

Abstract: Water distribution systems enable social and economic development and sustain people quality of life. However, these systems face significant performance challenges including ageing, natural disruptive events, and man-made disruptions. Physical protection of networked infrastructure distributed over large geographical areas is unfeasible. A cost-effective alternative is to enhance the water distribution system resilience: ensuring reduced system damage in case of disruption, and enhancing system capacity to recover lost performance within acceptable time and cost limits. This paper presents a novel network-based methodology to evaluate resilience of water distribution systems. This methodology utilises stochastic simulation on a network model to generate statistical data on the resilience probability of the actual water infrastructure system. The methodology is a management decision support tool for enhancing system preparedness, enabling acceptable recovery parameters, and improving the evaluation of capital investment alternatives. The network-based approach can be extended to complex networks integrating physical and non-physical assets.

Keywords: stochastic simulation; resilience assessment; water distribution networks; network modelling; networked infrastructures; water infrastructure; system preparedness; acceptable recovery parameters; capital investment alternatives.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCIS.2014.062966

International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, 2014 Vol.10 No.2, pp.134 - 150

Received: 02 Oct 2012
Accepted: 07 Dec 2012
Published online: 29 Jul 2014 *

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Title: Stochastic simulation methodology for resilience assessment of water distribution networks

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