what-when-how
In Depth Tutorials and Information
he research concerning the previous stated objectives was conducted in several
phases. First, a generic set of metrics are developed to characterize the sociotechni-
cal infrastructure of the emergency response operations concerning threats to the
transportation within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Region. he particular trans-
portation system consists of a highly complex technical network of different means
of transportation and a highly complex social network of emergency response orga-
nizations. he generic set of measurements will be determined from a subsection of
the transportation system [16].
Next, the characterization of the transportation infrastructure will used to con-
struct the simulation framework to represent the Pittsburgh Metro Region in order
to simulate the response of the regional transportation system under the influence
of different types of threats, available information, resource availability, and time
stress [16].
Next, the results of the simulation of the transportation infrastructure will
be used to develop probabilistic models for the Pittsburgh Metro Region. hese
models will accurately describe the spread of congestion due to the occurrence of
diferent critical events. he model will also help to identify the threshold of the
transportation system under various conditions in response to the different types
of threat. he results will help contribute to determining what proactive barriers
can be instituted to prevent the occurrence of the damaging event as well as how to
handled them through efficient use of resources from the emergency response orga-
nizations. hese risk reduction barriers may include improving the shared infor-
mation and coordination between the organizational systems, which in turn will
improve proper organization to best handle the occurrence of the critical event.
In developing the necessary metrics, modeling of the infrastructure's fragility
is based on an the percolation theory [16]. Percolation analysis is the study of the
distribution of failure cluster size and phase transition which provides a means of
determining when a system transitions from a stable phase into an unstable phase
[16]. Specifically, a system reaches a point of instability when the failure cluster
grows to the extent that the network is no longer connected [16]. Applying this idea
will assist in concluding whether or not an infrastructure of an area will maintain
its operational capacity in response to various disasters.
he first task of characterizing the sociotechnical infrastructure systems is to
model the vulnerability of the technical infrastructure for transportation. he initial
study focused on an area of highway network near Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
he particular highway network of interest was limited to consider only those sec-
tions that incurred daily traic of over 10,000 vehicles [16]. hese highway sections
include highways that are maintained by the state in the city of Pittsburgh [16].
he longest distance to which one can travel defines the stressed diameter and the
average distance that can be traveled defines the stressed characteristics. To indicate
risk, a dynamic variable will represent the low of traic through the system. he
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is assisting with the collection of data
regarding traic low in the area of interest. his data will assist in determining
