Exploring the Interdependencies of Repair and Maintenance Activities on Municipal Infrastructure Systems Using Social Network Analysis

This study utilizes social network analysis (SNA) to model the causal relationships between various Repair and Maintenance (R&M) activities undertaken by different municipal departments. The interconnection among R&M activities was identified through the input of municipal experts. The result revealed that repairing a sinkhole in the street, repairing cracked and collapsed pipes, and digging up the main line to replace old pipes have a higher cascading effect and cause other R&M activities in the network. Moreover, it was found that base and subbase repair, manhole and manhole cover repair, and pothole patching are highly affected by other R&M activities in the network. The findings provide invaluable insights for municipal infrastructure asset managers to better understand the R&M activities with strong cascading effects on different assets. The framework developed in this study enables municipalities to proactively address vulnerabilities arising from the interrelations between R&M activities and enhance the long-term resiliency and sustainability of their infrastructure systems.