Transportation Infrastructure Network Performance Analysis

Audrey Lafia-Bruce, Purdue University

Abstract

The main objective of this thesis is to analyze the transportation infrastructure based on performance measures. In doing so, the abstract presents a transportation network as a system of nodes and links. It is important to identify critical components in transportation networks. In identifying critical components of the network, performance measures such as nodal degree, nodal closeness, nodal eigen vector, nodal betweenness, which are the most widely used were explored in the analysis of the network. These measures account for the vulnerability of a node to failure in the transportation network. In our daily use of transportation networks, we are faced with disruptions that engender change in the transportation network. Disruptions tend to be commonplace in transportation systems. These include manmade disruptions such as accidents to natural disasters such as floods due to rainfall and hurricanes, seismic activities among others which are unprecedented. These incidents change how road users interact with the transportation system due to the disruptions that occur. The disruptions cause increased travel time, delays and even loss of property. These disruptions lead to direct, indirect and induced impacts. This study provides a firsthand diagnosis of the vulnerability of the transportation network to flood by ranking the nodes using performance measures and multicriteria evaluation. The paper found out that various performance measures may produce different critical nodes but with the employment of sensitivity analysis and veto rule, the most critical node can be established The paper found out that node 80 is the most critical and essential node of the entire network after the impact of flood.

Degree

M.Sc.

Advisors

Woldemariam, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Civil engineering|Economics|Energy|Mathematics|Public administration|Social structure|Transportation|Web Studies

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