Functional connectivity analysis for modeling flow in infrastructure

Abstract

The performance loss of infrastructure caused by hazards can disrupt economic activities, obstruct emergency responses, and be detrimental to society's well-being and recovery. Network analysis methods, including topology-based and flow-based methods, are valuable tools for infrastructure functionality assessment. Topology-based methods capture connectivity patterns of network components with relatively low computational costs. However, topology-based methods do not model the flow of resources from source facilities to consumers. On the other hand, flow-based methods are computationally intensive but can provide information on the flow performance of infrastructure by modeling the operational dynamics. This paper introduces a novel hybrid approach, Functional Connectivity Analysis (FCA), to provide comparable functionality assessment to flow-based methods with computational efficiency similar to the connectivity analysis by introducing flow-related characteristics into topological connectivity metrics. This approach is illustrated with a realistic example modeling the functionality of potable water infrastructure in Shelby County, Tennessee. Comparing the results of connectivity analysis, flow analysis, and FCA shows that FCA can provide information on functionality comparable to flow analysis with high computational efficiency.