The Concept of the System Resilience within the Infrastructure Dimension: Application to a Latvian Case

Regarding the infrastructure systems resilience often means a capability of the system to recover its function and properties after a disruptive event. The evaluation of the resilience depends on the formulation of the resilience itself, the type of the system to be analysed and the methodology applied (i.e. quantitative or qualitative evaluations). The significance of this research field is crucial for optimizing recovery strategies and disaster risk management. This study provides a new methodological approach for selection of the most effective restoration strategy of a networked infrastructure system, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative (multi-criteria analysis) methods. The proposed methodology was summarized into a general algorithm and implemented into a programmed tool for practical application. The case of a real system was examined by the application of the developed methodology to the district heating pipeline system of Salaspils city (Latvia). This study also comprehends the main aspects to be considered when using the specific resilience metric as a function of time and involving economic components. The practical value of the current study is represented by the tool, which can be used by the stakeholders in the regional planning, organization of restoration and other processes, where high level efficiency in use of materials and time resources is required