Modeling failure cascades in critical infrastructures with physically-characterized components and interdependencies

International audienceIn this work, the modeling of interdependent complex infrastructures (CIs) is carried out in a cascading failure simulation framework which accounts for the physical specialization of the components and their interdependencies. The analysis focuses on cascading failures triggered by the intentional removal of a single component in the CIs. The influence of the systems operating safety margins and interdependency pa-rameters on the consequences of the cascade are assessed. A ranking of the most critical components is pro-vided, based on the magnitude of the disruption caused by their removal