Center for Extreme Load Effects on Structures

At Risk: Utilities

The pipes, towers, tanks, transmission lines, and control systems used for water, power, and communications are most critical to a community surviving a disaster. In earthquake, flood, and high wind events, utilities are often damaged.

Utilities can also contribute to disaster. Almost every major earthquake in an urban region has been accompanied by fire from ruptured gas mains and electrical fires.

Consequences of damaged utility systems

  • Lack of fresh water leads to deadly diseases in just a few days.
  • Broken water systems prevents fire fighting.
  • Lack of power stops water treatment, as well as heat, cooling, food storage and preparation and the ability to operate tools for rescue and rebuilding.
  • Lack of power snarls transportation.
  • Lack of communication hampers rescue, and prevents survivors from full knowledge of options and resources.
  • Leaking and broken fuel lines can rupture and cause fires.

See also:
CELES facilities

Related Links:

American Lifelines Alliance - Reducing risk to utilities and transportation systems from hazards. Includes assessment guidance for seismic vulnerability of water systems; seismic design standards for above-ground storage tanks; guidelines for retrofitting piping systems, and more.

Strategies for Maintaining Lifelines During Earthquakes and other Natural Hazards (National Institute of Building Sciences)

Underground utilities at risk

Underground pipelines and connections often are too weak or inflexible to withstand earthquake movements. Ground movements are a big problem for utilities that cross faults or that are located where landslides or liquefaction occurs.

Above ground structures

Bracing
Above ground utility lines, tanks, pipelines, and connections often are not well braced or are not secured properly. 

Lateral movement
Like buildings, utility structures tend to be designed only for vertical gravity loads, with consideration of lateral, or side movement that occurs during earthquakes, floods, and extreme winds.  

Brittle components
Electronic and electrical components can also break during extreme events.

Foundations
Even when equipment is secured and designed for extreme loads, the underlying soil can cause problems if it liquefies or collapses during earthquakes or floods.

(FEMA. 2000. Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Handbook. Available from: http://www.conservationtech.com/FEMA-WEB/FEMA-subweb-EQ/02-02EARTHQUAKE/1-BUILDINGS/A~-Bldgs-Intro.htm.)

What can communities do?

  1. Asses the hazards that can affect utilities.
  2. Identify critical utility lifelines and develop programs to strengthen their performance during extreme events.
  3. Avoid utility lines that are single path and create systems where utilities can be rerouted in case of line failure.
  4. Develop monitoring systems for critical lifelines so that they can be repaired quickly or rerouted.
  5. Explore the use of new materials and designs to make structures more resilient.

How can CELES help?

  • Visualization and mapping for decision making. 
  • Multi-system modelling for decision making.
  • Research into interaction of soils, with various designs and materials.
  • Develop new designs and materials for custom situations
  • Education and training
  • Develop monitoring systems for critical structures.

Issues for research and development:

What new materials and structural designs can be developed to improve the safety of utility structures?

New soil strengthening techniques.

What cost-effective utility monitoring and communications technology can be developed that will itself withstand extreme loads?

Development of better models that incorporate structural behavior, extreme loads, and human actions.