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Infrastructure resilience refers to the ability of systems and communities to withstand and recover from disruptive events while maintaining essential functions. It encompasses robustness, adaptability, and preparedness in the face of challenges such as natural or man-caused disasters, cyber threats, or societal changes. Resilient infrastructure not only ensures the continuity of critical services like shelter, transportation, energy, and communication but also enhances overall community stability and economic vitality. By integrating risk management strategies, innovative technologies, and stakeholder engagement in design, construction, and operation, infrastructure resilience strengthens our capacity to thrive in a dynamic and interconnected world.
Conversely, the cost of inaction can be staggering, leading to increased vulnerability, economic losses, and compromised community well-being. By prioritizing resilience within the project execution and asset management protocols, structural engineers can prevent systemic breakdown and mitigate the consequences of unforeseen challenges, fostering long-term sustainability and prosperity.
Recognizing Systemic Breakdown
Construction projects are capital-intensive endeavors and require continuous input by many parties with diverse expertise, roles, and responsibilities. Successful project execution demands a thorough understanding of technical aspects, managerial skill set, and informed consensus among all involved. Catastrophic failures during construction often indicate a lack of understanding, communication, and coordination between owners, design consultants, contractors, and regulatory agencies. They point to a disregard of expert advice, promotion of unrealistic expectations, absence of accountability, and failure to report issues. They also suggest that the project team is experiencing fundamental weaknesses in its organization, operation, or management, requiring comprehensive interventions to restore functionality and stability. Overall, it leads to a situation where the project organization fails to operate effectively, resulting in a systemic breakdown, causing loss of control and widespread disruption.
On the other hand, notwithstanding extreme weather events or external human-caused interference, catastrophic collapse of a facility during operation is most likely the result of poor asset management. It helps to recognize that although failure of any engineering system can be problematic, it is the structural failure which is usually the most devastating due to its high potential to cause loss of life. Other systems, if not functioning properly, can be isolated or switched off for repair or replacement, but the structural system has no such inherent isolation or shut-off mechanism. A structure must function as intended every time, all the time! This recognition is essential for acknowledging that structural integrity is imperative to maintain asset resilience. From an asset management perspective, whether it is due to hesitation, indecision, or lack of awareness, failing to take prompt action has dire consequences, and often the cost can remain hidden until the consequences become devastatingly clear.
Real World Examples of Systemic Breakdowns
On March 15, 2018, a pedestrian bridge under construction at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami collapsed onto a busy street, resulting in six fatalities and multiple injuries. This bridge, designed to ensure pedestrian safety across a bustling road, had been installed just five days before the tragic incident. Investigations revealed that cracks had formed in the bridge's structure before it fell, highlighting potential structural problems. Despite these warning signs, no measures were taken to reinforce the bridge or close the street. Federal investigators attributed the collapse to calculation errors by engineers, as detailed in a report by the National Transportation Safety Board. The report also indicated that an independent peer review consultant failed to detect the Engineer of Record's (EOR) load and capacity calculation mistakes. Moreover, the EOR did not recognize the significance of the structural cracks observed before the collapse and failed to seek an independent peer review for a remedial plan.
Investigators believe that the responsible parties should have closed the street to ensure public safety and that the state's DOT should have halted the bridgework when the structural cracks became severe.
Since 2018, numerous other facility collapses have occurred including the Champlain Towers South condominium complex near Miami, Florida; an apartment building in Davenport, Iowa; a parking garage in New York City, New York; and the First Church of Christ in New London, Connecticut, with the last one occurring in January 2024.
These cases highlight critical systemic failures due to neglect, lack of accountability, and gaps in regulatory oversight across multiple aspects of design, construction, site supervision, and operation. Addressing these shortcomings through better engineering, monitoring, and governance could have improved resilience of the built environment, protecting lives and resources.
Sustaining & Improving Asset Resilience
Systemic breakdown can be averted by improving an asset’s resilience so it can absorb, adapt to, and recover from disruptions. This requires that the asset is planned, designed, constructed, occupied, and operated to meet modern demands and challenges, ultimately contributing to a safer, more efficient, and sustainable built environment.
Planning, Design & Construction Phase
In case of the FIU Pedestrian Bridge collapse, the potential for systemic breakdown could have been eliminated, or at least minimized, by establishing, executing, monitoring, and tracking robust processes, elements, and functions, during planning, design, and construction phases. Technical and constructability reviews during planning and design stages provide opportunities to catch errors, omissions, and oversights detrimental to the asset. These phases also allow for consideration of likely risks and lead to the development of risk management and contingency plans. Following groundbreaking, construction projects can encounter unforeseen issues such as faulty material or equipment, material and labor shortages, inclement weather conditions, or on-site changes. Establishing and following robust counter measures prior to construction allows for better management of these scenarios during construction, and enhances the ability to adapt safely, quickly, and efficiently.
Occupation & Operation Phase
Since 2018, several building collapses have occurred while the facilities were already occupied and operational. This presents a different set of challenges to be addressed. Built assets must maintain a comfortable and functional environment for end users despite adverse events. This is a function of safety, security, occupant protection, and effective operations. Although all building systems including architectural, MEP, life safety etc. contribute to a facility’s operability, they depend on a robust structural system to function optimally and to maintain their effectiveness during extreme conditions. Because of this, integrity of structural systems is a vital component for sustaining the building’s ability to continue serving its intended purpose.
It is also important to recognize that the failure of other systems, such as an electrical fire or corrosion due to lack of proper waterproofing, may weaken a structure. Therefore, regular maintenance, routine inspections, and conformance to updated codes and standards are essential for all architectural and engineering systems to maintain asset resilience.
- Regular Maintenance: Built assets are exposed to various environmental factors, such as moisture, temperature fluctuations, and pollutants, which can cause deterioration. Identification and repair of minor issues is imperative to ensure they do not become major problems. Regular maintenance is often more cost-effective than major repairs or replacements. By investing in maintenance, owners can avoid the high costs associated with emergency repairs or complete failures.
- Routine Inspections: Inspections can uncover damage that might not be immediately visible but could compromise building systems in the long run. This includes issues like site erosion, foundational settling, corrosion, or hidden damage due to extreme weather events.
- Codes & Standards: Building codes and safety standards evolve over time. Compliance with updated codes and standards ensures that the facility conforms to regulatory requirements.
Summary
While the terminology of "resilience" may have gained prominence in modern discourse, the concept has been integral to human civilization for centuries. The tools and technologies have evolved, but humans have always sought to create infrastructure and settlements that could withstand natural disasters, adapt to environmental changes, and support the long-term sustainability of communities.
Disregarding resilience in the built environment poses complex challenges and has severe repercussions. Beyond the tragic loss of life, asset failures undermine trust in the industry, damage relationships, and squander opportunities. To prevent a negative outcome in modern construction and asset management sectors, business executives and project managers must consider the core principals of resilience, place safety at the highest level in the hierarchy of business decisions—and adhere to ethical leadership, regulatory oversight, established processes, and a commitment to transparency and quality. ■
About the Author
Dr. Aamir Butt, PE, is a Senior Principal with STV and brings diverse experience with leading global design, construction and asset management organizations. His expertise include overall program management encompassing planning, pre-construction, design management, procurement and construction management on national and international capital programs/projects.
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