An integrated modeling framework for infrastructure system-of-systems simulation

Abstract

Abstract-Design of future hard infrastructure must consider emergent behaviors from cross-system interdependencies. Understanding these interdependencies is challenging due to high levels of integration in high-performance systems and their operation as a collaborative system-of-systems managed by multiple organizations. Existing modeling frameworks have limitations for strategic planning either because important spatial structure attributes have been abstracted out or behavioral models are oriented to shorter-term analysis with a static network structure. This paper presents a formal modeling framework as a first step to integrating infrastructure system models in a system-of-systems simulation addressing these concerns. First, a graph-theoretic structural framework captures the spatial dimension of physical infrastructure. An element's simulation state includes location, parent, resource contents, and operational state properties. Second, a functional behavioral framework captures the temporal dimension of infrastructure operations at a level suitable for strategic analysis. Resource behaviors determine the flow of resources into or out of nodes and element behaviors modify other state including the network structure. Two application use cases illustrate the usefulness of the modeling framework in varying contexts. The first case applies the framework to future space exploration infrastructure with an emphasis on mobile system elements and discrete resource flows. The second case applies the framework to infrastructure investment in Saudi Arabia with an emphasis on immobile system elements aggregated at the city level and continuous resource flows. Finally, conclusions present future work planned for implementing the framework in a simulation software tool.

A system-of-systems approach to understanding urbanization – state of the art and prospect

“…SoS is also applied to modeling infrastructure system as well as infrastructure construction project management. Grogan and de Weck (2013) built the framework for modeling and simulation of different types of infrastructure as SoS and presented detailed descriptions of distribution of these infrastructures, attempting to find an optimal distribution pattern in regard of structure and functionality. Mostafavi et al (2012) studied the policy assessment for infrastructure using the SoS approach, by proposing a "government-investor-user" SoS framework to simulate the coordination behavior during the process in a construction project financing.…”