Preventing and Managing Risks Induced by Natural Hazards to Critical Infrastructures

Abstract

A procedure for assessing and monitoring the response of critical infrastructures when subjected to natural hazards is proposed in this paper, with a particular focus on bridges and viaducts, which are very peculiar and strategic assets of transport networks. The proposed procedure is characterized by three levels of analysis (L1–L3) with increasing reliability and complexity. The first level of analysis (L1) is carried out by evaluating a Class of Attention in line with the approach that is proposed by the Italian Guidelines for the safety assessment of bridges. The second level (L2) of analysis requires the definition of a numerical model of the bridge. The third level (L3) of analysis relies on the seismic response data from a seismic monitoring network. For all the three levels of the proposed procedure, data are collected in the CIPCast Decision Support System (CIPCast-DSS), a WebGIS platform developed by ENEA to support the decision-making process related to risk prevention and the management of impacts induced by natural hazards on critical infrastructures. The real-time analysis of the data collected and processed in the CIPcast-DSS in post-disaster circumstances provides a quasi-real-time prediction of the impacted infrastructures, and the extent of damages they could have suffered before a local inspection and analysis could take place. The continuous static and dynamic monitoring in periods without seismic events enables the planning of preventive and effective maintenance interventions.

Structural Analysis of Pre-hazard Preparedness Criteria in Iranian Large Cities

“…However, the lack of a critical database (geographic, demographic and infrastructure) for use in emergencies has always increased vulnerability in large cities of Iran during past hazards. This finding has been emphasized in the research on preventing and managing the risks in critical infrastructures by Buffarini et al (2022).…”

Analytical identification of dynamic structural models: Mass matrix of an isospectral lumped mass model

“…This trend is gaining substantial ground in the design and management of new and existing structures and infrastructures, a field that encompasses large monitoring networks that extend up to the urban and even national scale. [3][4][5] Specifically, the more recent research trends push forward coupling monitoring systems with digital mechanical models of structures, to improve classical data-driven methodologies for structural health monitoring. [6][7][8][9][10] This integration is characterized by a continuous feedback loop between the model and the real structure being monitored, in which the model receives continuous fluxes of digital information from sensors as inputs and should be able to reproduce in output, often in real-time, 11 the system's current state and its future evolution.…”

“…Within this stimulating and rapidly evolving scenario, integrating and fusing results from physical‐mathematical formulations with the output of computational models and experimental data from dynamic measurements is becoming a necessary procedural standard. This trend is gaining substantial ground in the design and management of new and existing structures and infrastructures, a field that encompasses large monitoring networks that extend up to the urban and even national scale 3–5 . Specifically, the more recent research trends push forward coupling monitoring systems with digital mechanical models of structures, to improve classical data‐driven methodologies for structural health monitoring 6–10 .…”

A GIS-Based Approach for Shallow Landslides Risk Assessment in the Giampilieri and Briga Catchments Areas (Sicily, Italy)

“…Debris flows, mudflows, and debris avalanches typically originate from steep slopes, often in sparsely populated areas. The displaced material can travel downstream over considerable distances from the initiation areas, frequently encroaching upon human settlements, roads, and critical infrastructures [29]. Nevertheless, landslide hazard and risk maps currently implemented by regional and local authorities often feature solely an inventory of past landslides and/or results of a landslide susceptibility analysis, focusing primarily on potential source areas, where landslide failures may occur.…”