Resilience optimization in water distribution networks
Large-scale simulation and recovery planning
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Abstract
The ability of a community to respond effectively to emergencies is closely linked to the wellbeing of its infrastructure. Many global infrastructures are outdated, making them particularly vulnerable to natural disasters like earthquakes. In this context, this paper introduces a simulation-based approach to measure and improve the resilience of large-scale Water Distribution Networks (WDN). We evaluate network resilience using two key metrics: the first counts the number of users who lose access to water, and the second quantifies the reduction in total water supply. Both metrics are considered under the assumption that a localized system failure happens when both water pressure and flow rate fall below certain levels. We test the network's performance under various earthquake scenarios, calculating the potential damage through fragility functions that take into account both the network's characteristics and the seismic forces involved. Our model is applied to a simulated community of 900,000 people, revealing significant correlations between the timing of the earthquake, daily water demand, and the material properties of the pipes. Additionally, we present a plan to incorporate a recovery optimization module in future work. This module aims to dynamically prioritize repair tasks based on various constraints like available manpower, equipment, and budget, with the ultimate objective of maximizing the number of residents served with adequate water pressure during the recovery process.