Next-generation Infrastructure Research Articles

Next-generation Digital Forensics Challenges and Evidence Preservation Framework for IoT Devices

The proliferation of the Internet of Things devices in today’s environment generates huge amount of information about users and surroundings. Data produced by IoT devices attracts cybercriminals to perform malicious activity. The technologies like cloud and fog computing are emerging as the next-generation infrastructure for Internet of Things which may be challenging for digital investigation. In this paper, IoT and fog-based frameworks for digital forensics of IoT devices are explained and tools used in different levels of IoT such as physical level, cloud level, network level, and mobile application level are briefly discussed. The process of evidence collection and challenges in IoT forensics paradigms are well studied. For securing the extracted artifacts IoT evidence preservation framework is proposed (IoT-EvPF). Furthermore, the forensic challenges in a cloud computing environment and anti-forensics techniques used by cybercriminals to hide their identity and malicious activity are discussed. We have identified research gaps and provided a framework to encourage more thought and conversation about the difficulties of retrieving digital evidence from Fog Computing systems.

Enhanced real-time crack monitoring and updating in welded structural components with limited measurement data

This paper presents an enhanced neural network-bootstrap particle filtering algorithm to construct the complex relationship between the normalized strain relaxation indicators and the crack front profiles based on numerical simulation and experimental validation. The metamodel of normalized strain relaxation indicators and the crack front profile in welded plate joints under bending cyclic loadings is built based on the optimal regression neural network and finite element analysis. To overcome the uncertainties caused by the limited strain measurement, crack measurement, and different non-destructive techniques, this study further proposes new crack-related weight functions and combines a bootstrap particle filtering approach with an interpolation method to finely tune the metamodel and the crack prediction algorithm. As validated by the experimental results, the intelligent crack sizing approach demonstrates a potential solution for crack size monitoring through affordable strain gauges in the broad framework of digitally twinning the next-generation infrastructure.

Efficient resource prediction framework for software-defined heterogeneous radio environmental infrastructures

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is defining the future of next-generation infrastructures as proactive and data-driven systems. AI-empowered radio systems are replacing the existing command and control radio networks due to their intelligence and capabilities to adapt to the radio environmental infrastructures that include intelligent networks, smart cities and AV/VR enabled factory premises or localities. An efficient resource prediction framework (ERPF) is proposed to provide proactive knowledge about the availability of radio resources in such software-defined heterogeneous radio environmental infrastructures (SD-HREIs). That prior information enables the coexistence of radio users in SD-HREIs. In a proposed framework, the radio activity is measured in both the unlicensed bands that include 2.4 and 5 GHz, respectively. The clustering algorithms k- means and DBSCAN are implemented to segregate the already measured radioactivity as signal (radio occupancy) and noise (radio opportunity). Machine learning techniques CNN and LRN are then trained and tested using the segregated data to predict the radio occupancy and radio opportunity in SD-HREIs. Finally, the performance of CNN and LRN is validated using the cross-validation metrics.

Collaboration and Data Sharing in Inter-Organizational Infrastructure Construction Projects

A close collaboration between infrastructure owners is crucial to address challenges in the design and execution of next-generation infrastructure projects for sustainable development. Managing and sharing data among parties involved in infrastructure projects, particularly the data required at the early stages of a project to design and develop an interconnected infrastructure project, appear to play a critical role in inter-organizational collaboration (IOC), but are often overlooked. In the present work, the status of collaboration and data sharing between infrastructure owners in inter-organizational infrastructure projects is studied to enhance our understanding of the relationship between collaboration and data sharing in horizontal IOCs. Explorative semi-structured interviews with practitioners were conducted at organizational and project levels in the infrastructure sectors in The Netherlands. The outcomes revealed that the theoretical benefits of IOC are not realized in practice and that managing and sharing data between infrastructure owners in inter-organizational projects (IOP) face many challenges. The findings suggest that collaboration and data sharing are interrelated in horizontal IOCs and are deemed crucial for the execution of IOPs. The findings of the present study demonstrate the importance of the bilateral relationship between effective collaboration and data sharing and provide an enhanced insight into horizontal forms of IOC and practices of next-generation infrastructure development.

Preface to the Special Issue on “The Technology of IoT and Sensing Systems for Next-generation Infrastructure”

Preface to the Special Issue on “The Technology of IoT and Sensing Systems for Next-generation Infrastructure”

Knowledge graph model development for knowledge discovery in dementia research using cognitive scripting and next-generation graph-based database: a design science research approach

Recent studies report doubling numbers of deaths due to dementia. With such an escalating mortality rate related to cognitive decline diseases, like dementia, timely information on contributing factors and knowledge discovery from evidence-based repositories is warranted. A large amount of scholarly knowledge extracted from research findings on dementia can be understood only using human intelligence for arriving at quality inferences. Due to the unstructured data presented in such a massive dataset of scientific articles available online, gaining insights from the knowledge hidden in the literature is complex and time-consuming. Hence, there is a need for developing a knowledge management model to create, query and maintain a knowledge repository of key elements and their relationships extracted from scholarly articles in a structured manner. In this paper, an innovative knowledge discovery computing model to process key findings from unstructured data from scholarly articles by using the design science research (DSR) methodology is proposed. The solution caters to a novel composition of the cognitive script of crucial knowledge related to dementia and its subsequent transformation from unstructured into a structured format using graph-based next-generation infrastructures. The computing model contains three phases to assist the research community to have a better understanding of the related knowledge in the existing unstructured research articles: (i) article collection and construction of cognitive script, (ii) generation of Cypher statements (a knowledge graph query language) and (iii) creation of graph-based repository and visualization. The performance of the computing model is demonstrated by visualizing the outcome of various search criteria in the form of nodes and their relationships. Our results also demonstrate the effectiveness of visual query and navigation highlighting its usability.

Industry impact of QuakeCoRE Flagship Programme 4

QuakeCoRE is one of 10 Centres of Research Excellence funded by the New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission. With a focus on earthquake resilience of communities and societies, it has played a major role in addressing needs identified following the Christchurch Earthquake and other major events over the last decade. QuakeCoRE comprises a number of Flagship Programmes, including Flagship 4, which is entitled “Next-generation infrastructure: Low-damage and repairable solutions.” This paper aims to support turning research into practice by identifying the key areas of Flagship 4 that are likely to have an impact on the industry. Five key areas of impact were identified, based on a review of the published research, engagement with Flagship 4 leadership and the authors’ experience in the industry. For each area identified, summaries of the major research outcomes are provided, along with views as to how these can support the engineering practice.

ONION: Osaka university Next-generation Infrastructure for Open research and open innovatioN

ONION: Osaka university Next-generation Infrastructure for Open research and open innovatioN

Comparative Study on Flora Characteristics and Species Diversity on Dam Slopes for Sustainable Ecological Management: Cases of Eight Dams in Korea

Dams are gray infrastructure, providing various benefits such as flood control, water supply, and power generation. In order to create the next generation of infrastructure that explores how nature can act as infrastructure to meet development and ecological sustainability, artificial plantings have been attempted on dam slopes in Korea since 2000. As the planted trees are now stabilized to form a forest, it is time to study the floral characteristics and functions for effective ecological management and the safety of the dams. In this study, we investigated and analyzed flora in the slopes of eight dams in Korea. The comparative study of the whole flora in both the planted zones of the slopes of dams and left and right forests of dams revealed that the number of plant species was higher in the planted zones than in the left and right forests of the same size area. The plant family containing the greatest number of species in the slopes was Asteraceae, followed by Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Rosaceae. Currently, the community structures and families in the slopes of dams exhibit the characteristics of habitats in the initial stage of vegetation succession. Our investigation of planted species and immigration species in the slopes revealed that the latter comprised 89.9%. An average of 34.4% of species were interacting with the dam slope and the left and right forests. The species diversity index on dam slopes showed a tendency to be higher as the number of planted species increased and the period time increased. Average growth heights of planted trees were identified as 0.5–1.6 m for the shrubs layer, 3.5–4.5 m for the small trees layer, and 6.0–7.2 m for the trees layer. The heights of major trees, including Pinus densiflora, Quercus spp., Prunus sargentii, Styrax japonicus, and Cornus controversa, were similar to or higher than those of their counterparts in natural forests. As a result, dam slopes were similar to natural forests, having potential as habitats for various flora. To harmoniously maintain the ecological health and safety of water resource facilities of the slopes of dams, however, it is necessary to conduct periodic and various investigations on changes of the flora and growth of trees, and actively manage them.

Applying blockchain for primary financial market: A survey

In financial market, especially primary market, it is very costly and difficult to make a deal due to discovery difficulty, information asymmetry, lack of trust, complicated trading process and low liquidity. Blockchain is an innovative technology enabling new business models of distributed data storage, point-to-point transaction and decentralized autonomous organizations via consensus. The unique features of blockchain, ‘decentralization, highly transparent, enhanced security and immutability of information’, make it a good solution candidate to meet the needs of private equity exchange. This article focuses on analysing the technical basis of the blockchain financial model and the typical application scenarios of the blockchain in the financial market. It discusses the importance of applying key blockchain technology to the financial market, especially in the primary market. Research has found that the development of blockchain technology, especially the maturity of stabilized token technology, makes it possible for blockchain to become a supporting technology to support the next generation of infrastructure in the future financial market. At present, blockchain technology has been concentrated in the issuance, registration, clearing, settlement and derivatives management of private equity and other over-the-counter securities. The use of blockchain to build a decentralized primary market has not received enough attention in research and practice, and the use of blockchain technology to establish a primary market with diverse distribution methods is still in its infancy. On this basis, this article further analyses the current problems and the possibility of solving these problems in the application of blockchain in the primary market and points out several interesting directions for future research in this field.

KAGRA underground environment and lessons for the Einstein Telescope

The KAGRA gravitational-wave detector in Japan is the only operating detector hosted in an underground infrastructure. Underground sites promise a greatly reduced contribution of the environment to detector noise thereby opening the possibility to extend the observation band to frequencies well below 10 Hz. For this reason, the proposed next-generation infrastructure Einstein Telescope in Europe would be realized underground aiming for an observation band that extends from 3 Hz to several kHz. However, it is known that ambient noise in the low-frequency band 10 Hz - 20 Hz at current surface sites of the Virgo and LIGO detectors is predominantly produced by the detector infrastructure. It is of utmost importance to avoid spoiling the quality of an underground site with noisy infrastructure, at least at frequencies where this noise can turn into a detector-sensitivity limitation. In this paper, we characterize the KAGRA underground site to determine the impact of its infrastructure on environmental fields. We find that while excess seismic noise is observed, its contribution in the important band below 20 Hz is minor preserving the full potential of this site to realize a low-frequency gravitational-wave detector. Moreover, we estimate the Newtonian-noise spectra of surface and underground seismic waves and of the acoustic field inside the caverns. We find that these will likely remain a minor contribution to KAGRA's instrument noise in the foreseeable future.

Next-generation infrastructure for next-generation people

The way in which people consider next-generation infrastructure needs to be rooted in the history of the planet and, in particular, its most troublesome inhabitant, Homo sapiens. This history has driven the development of infrastructure through the ages at an accelerating rate, from the incipient early cities of 10 000 years ago to the fast-growing metropolises of the twenty-first century. That history teaches people that human beings are essentially social animals and both require and crave social interactions. The need for this has been increasingly excluded from city design since the beginnings of the Industrial Revolutions and increasingly in the past 100 or so years, where the driver has been the development of infrastructure for its own sake rather than that of the everyday person. This paper proposes a refocus for urban engineering, on the concept of sociality, the propensity to interact freely with unknown others, so that infrastructure is directed to enhancing the ability of people to converse as a basic and initial form of the function of social interaction. The challenge is there, but is the infrastructure sector up to meet it? This paper proposes some initial lines of thought and ways forward to answer the challenge.

Hydrophobic modification of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced composites with matrices enhanced by aluminum oxide nano-fibers

Aluminum oxide nanoparticles can be used in small quantities to create a high-performance and ultra-high-performance cementitious composites. High volumes, up to 20% of supplementary cementitious materials such as silica fume or metakaolin, are often used to achieve the high strength of up to 150 MPa in high performance and ultra-high performance cementitious composites. This research demonstrates that when aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nano-fibers are used in cement-based composites, compressive strength of up to 175 MPa can be achieved at very low dosages of silica fume and metakaolin. This effect is achieved by using low water to cementitious materials ratio, selection of cement, and utilizing the seeding and reinforcing effects of by the nano-fibers. Furthermore, the ultra-high performance cement-based composite (UHPC) can include polyethylene fibers which provide enhanced strain hardening and multi-cracking behavior. The UHPC was tested to evaluate the effects of superhydrophobic modification. Superhydrophobic modification utilizes siloxane-based admixtures to form a well-dispersed air void system whose voids have hydrophobic properties. The experimental results demonstrate that a superhydrophobic modification may reduce the performance of advanced composites with Al2O3 nano-fibers. High-performance cementitious materials are critical for the next generation of infrastructure. This research evaluates the effects of superhydrophobic admixtures in ultra-high-strength fiber-reinforced composites with Al2O3 nano-fibers. The incorporation of small quantities of aluminum oxide nano-fibers in UHPC may prove to be a viable option for compressive strength enhancement; however, incorporating a superhydrophobic air void structure was not effective for enhancement of ductility.

Future Infrastructural Replacement Through the Smart Bridge Concept.

Most of the bridges and viaducts in the Netherlands were built in the sixties and seventies of the last century, and an increasing number of them will have to be replaced due to technical or functional reasons. The Netherlands is not an exception, many industrialized countries will face a similar replacement task in the near future. With the increased traffic intensities and the importance of mobility, the design and construction strategies for new bridges have to be different from that in the past. New methods need to ensure that traffic hindrance due to construction works and (future) maintenance activities are minimized. At the Delft University of Technology, a SMART bridge concept is being developed for fast and hindrance-free infrastructural replacement. The optimal advantage is achieved by utilizing innovative but proven technologies, and by bringing academic research into practice. A combination of recent innovations in construction technology, such as advanced cementitious materials (ACM), structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques, advanced design methods (ADM), and accelerated bridge construction (ABC) is being used. These innovations represent a step towards the next generation of infrastructure where fast construction, intelligent bridge design, sustainability, zero-energy, no/low maintenance, and aesthetics are key features.

Dominant recent trends impacting on jobs and labor markets - An Overview

ABSTRACTThis special double issue of the International Journal of Training Research with the theme ‘emerging labor markets of the future—reimagining skills development and training’ contains 13 articles that provide a comprehensive overview of global and regional trends that impact on emerging jobs and labor markets of the future. With particular reference to Asia, the papers examine promising strategies in skills for jobs that address these trends. The articles provide a snapshot of the changing dynamics of labor markets of the future and the importance of reimagining not just the content of skills development and training but also the mechanisms by which they can be delivered to prepare a future-ready workforce. The key attributes possessed by such a globally relevant talent pool for the workforce of the future include basic digital skills and literacy; learnability skills; skills needed for greening economies; skills required for engaging in Industry 4.0 occupations; skills for next-generation infrastructure and services; skills for technology-infused manufacturing sectors; and broad-based soft skills that help to improve workplace effectiveness, such as skills for teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, and design-thinking. All these will have an important and far-reaching impact on future directions for technical and vocational education and training in the region that policy makers and practitioners need to take into account.

Next-Generation Infrastructure Systems and Services [Guest Editorial

Next-Generation Infrastructure Systems and Services [Guest Editorial

2018 Update on Activities Related to JT-NM, AMWA, and VSF

As noted in the SMPTE 2017 Progress Report, a number of organizations are continuing to work closely with the Society to develop the next-generation infrastructure for the professional media industry. This report covers the following organizations.

Biomimetic cementitious construction materials for next-generation infrastructure

The resilience of civil engineering structures has traditionally been associated with the design of individual elements with sufficient capacity to respond appropriately to adverse events. This has traditionally employed ‘robust’ design procedures that focus on defining safety factors for individual adverse events and providing redundancy. As such, construction materials have traditionally been designed to specific technical specifications. Furthermore, material degradation is viewed as inevitable and mitigation necessitates expensive maintenance regimes. Based on a better understanding of natural biological systems, biomimetic materials that have the ability to adapt and respond to their environment have recently been developed. This fundamental change has the potential to facilitate the creation of a wide range of ‘smart’ materials and intelligent structures that can self-sense and self-repair without the need for external intervention which could transform infrastructure. This paper presents an overview of the development, application and commercial perspectives of a suite of complementary self-healing cementitious systems that have been developed as part of a national team and led to the first UK full-scale field trials on self-healing concrete.

Next-Generation Infrastructure and Technology Issues in 5G Systems

Next-generation technologies are being tried to develop for 5G wireless cellular networks nowadays by many researchers. Some key technologies provide significant improvements for 5G systems in terms of huge capacity, higher data rate, signaling overhead on the network and energy-spectral efficiency. But these technologies also bring along critical issues for 5G systems. In this paper, these major problems of 5G networks are discussed in terms of scarcity radio frequency spectrum, inter-antenna synchronization, antenna deployments in cells, network and traffic management, cost and workload. Also these challenges are expressed, presented and discussed in each section to provide prior knowledge and perspective for 5G network designers and researchers.

Special Issue on Infrastructure Maintenance, Renovation and Management

Building a sustainable economy is one of Japan’s most pressing issues today, and the only path forward is through innovations in science and technology. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI) has taken a high-altitude look across Japan’s ministries, proposing a comprehensive policy for science, technology, and innovation. As part of this policy, the SIP program has been designed as a fast-track research and development project, encompassing basic research, practical adoption, and commercialization. This nationally-sponsored program for science and technology innovation crosses the traditional framework of Japan’s ministries and agencies, as well as the traditional boundaries of scientific disciplines. The SIP has identified 11 issues from the field of energy, next-generation infrastructure and regional resources in order to address social issues, revitalize the Japanese economy, and bolstering Japan’s industrial posture in the world. As one of eleven themes, a new R&D program named “Infrastructure maintenance, renovation and management” was launched in 2014. The new R&D program is a 5-years program covering various subjects with key technologies such as non-destructive testing, monitoring, robotics, long-term performance prediction, development of high-quality durable material for repair and replacement, and infrastructure management using advanced information and communication technologies (ICT). The program consists of 60 research projects involving universities, research institutes and industries. This initiative is expected to prevent further accidents and setting an example for efficient infrastructure maintenance by reducing the burden of maintenance works and costs. This special issue aims at introducing some of the activities of the ongoing SIP “Infrastructure maintenance, renovation and management.” We are delighted to see publication of twenty-one technical papers/reports on this theme. We hope that readers would find this special issue interesting and valuable; and we greatly appreciate the authors for their contributions.