Intersections: A Strategy for Increasing Seismic Infrastructure Resilience

Kenneth W. Hudnut

Published September 10, 2023, SCEC Contribution #12964, 2023 SCEC Annual Meeting Poster #193 (PDF)

Risk is high at intersections between fault lines and infrastructure lifelines, so these are sites where seismic mitigation projects can have an especially strong risk reduction impact. Using a tranched approach to categorize importance of infrastructure assets, taking into account both safety and reliability factors, allows for strategic prioritization of seismic risk reduction investments. Recognizing that both the natural fault system and the infrastructure system are inherently non-linear leads to an implementation approach that favors heavy investment in the most critical facilities of all, to ensure they achieve their performance objectives. By using an iterative and ongoing approach of assessments to standards, followed by prioritization and then execution of mitigation projects, this strategy can achieve long-term sustainable results. Although developed for use in the electric sector, general aspects of the approach can potentially be used in other infrastructure sectors with a goal of achieving not only a more resilient power grid, but overall a more seismically resilient infrastructure system of systems.

Links to further details:

CPUC portal access to SCE 2022 RAMP; see Chapter 8, 'Seismic,' which describes the strategy; https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M476/K640/476640383.PDF

Geocongress 2023 video (18 minutes) of this presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQRuB8Oj2dk

Key Words
infrastructure resilience investment strategy

Citation
Hudnut, K. W. (2023, 09). Intersections: A Strategy for Increasing Seismic Infrastructure Resilience. Poster Presentation at 2023 SCEC Annual Meeting.

Related Projects & Working Groups
Earthquake Engineering Implementation Interface (EEII)