Tripartite Social Roles of Urban Underground Pipeline Informatization in China

Abstract

Urban underground pipelines (UUPs) are critical infrastructure, and their safe operation has become a key concern in Chinese society. Currently, the tripartite social roles of the local people’s government, pipeline management departments, and the public are crucial in the informatization of urban underground pipelines. In this study, a survey was conducted among 126 professionals and technical personnel involved in underground pipeline informatization across eight cities in different regions of China. A quantitative weighted evaluation model was established using the Project Quantitative Index (PQI) and principal component analysis (PCA) to investigate the value of the tripartite aforementioned social groups in UUP informatization. The results indicate: (1) There is a significant positive correlation between the tripartite social roles and the promotion of UUP informatization. Moreover, the indicators with the highest PQI value are “Establishment of UUP informatization management departments” and “Support the work of the UUP informatization industry association” under the role of the local people’s government. (2) The informatization work of underground pipelines in different cities is affected differently by the tripartite social roles. This suggests that the local people’s government and professional management departments in different cities can proactively leverage their unique advantages in UUP informatization based on their specific circumstances. (3) PCA results showed that the indicators related to the public carried significant weight, indicating that the public also played an important role in UUP informatization. The degree of UUP informatization in the eight studied cities is ranked as follows: Guangzhou > Beijing > Qingdao > Kunming > Shanghai > Chengdu > Wuhan > Sian. This paper further discusses the unique roles and contributions of the tripartite social groups in UUP informatization, aiming to provide decision support for the future construction, management, and safe operation and maintenance of urban underground pipelines in China.