Managing Critical Infrastructure Interdependence through Economic Input-Output Methods
Publication: Journal of Infrastructure Systems
Volume 15, Issue 3
Abstract
Management of our critical infrastructures is a vital component of our economic and homeland security policy. The degree to which these infrastructures are interdependent, due to increasing system complexity and technology, further complicates the task of infrastructure managers to maintain service. In this paper we use economic models of the U.S. economy to identify hidden interdependencies in the supply chains of infrastructure. Critical connections between infrastructure systems, whether direct or indirect, pose a risk of one disruption causing a ripple effect across the economy. Our analysis shows that in many cases, the highest interdependencies between critical infrastructures occur upstream (e.g., in the second or third-level of the supply chain). Specific results are shown for the large upstream interdependencies (up to 10 times the direct dependencies) between transportation and power generation sectors. By revealing these upstream interdependencies infrastructure managers can take further preventative measures or make additional investments to avoid future infrastructure disruptions.
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Acknowledgments
Ping Chen was a doctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University when this work was completed. Corinne Scown was a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University when this work was completed. This material is based upon work supported by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance, and the National Science Foundation under Grant No. NSFCMS-0223255. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Infrastructure Systems
Volume 15 • Issue 3 • September 2009
Pages: 200 - 210
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 20, 2007
Accepted: Jan 11, 2009
Published online: Aug 14, 2009
Published in print: Sep 2009
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