We are excited to share a recent two-part publication led by Professor Kenichi Soga that proposes and applies a novel framework to evaluate how emerging technologies (ETs) contribute to the resilience of civil infrastructure systems.
In Part I: A Decision-Making Workflow, the team presents a graph-based workflow that helps infrastructure stakeholders determine whether — and how — a particular technology enhances system resilience. This framework breaks down the evaluation into five key resilience properties: robustness, redundancy, resourcefulness, rapidity, and a newly introduced concept — responsiveness. The decision-making tool offers a structured way to assess ETs qualitatively across technical, organizational, and social dimensions, especially when quantitative data are scarce or difficult to obtain.
Part II: Case Studies brings the methodology to life through nine real-world examples, ranging from 3D-printed bridges and distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) for pipelines, to UAV-based disaster assessment and satellite imagery with AI for detecting canal leakage. Each case demonstrates how specific technologies contribute to resilience, particularly in scenarios involving natural disasters or system disruptions.
Together, these papers offer both a conceptual foundation and practical applications for incorporating emerging technologies into infrastructure planning and disaster preparedness. The framework promotes better communication among engineers, technology developers, and infrastructure owners — a critical step toward smarter and more resilient infrastructure systems.