Input-Output Analysis For Infrastructure Ecology
Infrastructure systems (e.g., water, sewage, power, gas, transportation, etc) are critical for the built environment to function properly to fulfill the societal needs. These infrastructure systems are highly interdependent with each other in complex ways. Changes in one particular infrastructure will have impacts on other infrastructure systems through direct and indirect interdependencies. The impact resulting from such infrastructure interdependency is not always taken into account in industrial ecology. Here we extend the concept of ecology to characterize infrastructure interdependency in the sense that infrastructure systems are not examined individually but as an interlinked system, or 'infrastructure ecology'. This research explores the interdependency among critical urban infrastructure systems including water, power, gas, transportation, etc. Such infrastructure interdependency is established using the foundations of Input-Output Analysis (IOA). An infrastructure input-output matrix for the US is constructed to reflect direct interdependencies among selected critical infrastructure systems. The most recent data available are used to define these interactions. The scope of this research accounts for the interdependencies among studied infrastructure systems in the US at the national scale on a yearly basis. The analytical framework defined in this research can be applied for understanding the interdependencies of selected infrastructure systems at regional and local scales, particularly in urban settings. This infrastructure input-output analysis framework will be able to serve as an impact assessment tool for future urban infrastructure development.