GCRI · Critical Infrastructure
Methods and uncertainty
The methods Critical Infrastructure relies on: their equations and assumptions, the data they need, how they are validated and the limits of what they can show.
The order things happen in.
- 01Draftsources cited, labels attached
- 02Evidence checkevery value traced
- 03Independent reviewconflicts declared
- 04Editionpublished with its limits
- 05Correctiona new version, never a silent edit
The methods in use.
- 01Reliability and resilience engineeringResilience metrics for lifelines · Reliability analysis of networks · Restoration planningApplied here
- 02Systems engineeringResilience requirements · Interface mapping · Verification across the life cycleApplied here
- 03Network science and contagionCritical node and link analysis · Interdependent network models · Redundancy assessmentApplied here
- 04Sensors, IoT and observation networksStructural health monitoring · Leak and pressure monitoring · Grid sensingApplied here
- 05Communications and network technologyMission-critical communications · Backhaul diversity · Communication dependencies of operatorsApplied here
- 06Optimisation and operations researchResilience investment portfolios · Restoration scheduling · Network design under uncertaintyApplied here
- 07Space systems and satellite servicesTiming dependency review · Satellite backup communications · Asset monitoring from spaceApplied here
- 08Energy generation, storage and grid technologyBackup power options · Microgrids for critical services · Fuel supply in emergenciesApplied here
- 09Power systems engineeringContingency analysis · Hardening distribution networks · Black-start and restoration plansApplied here
- 10Structural and earthquake engineeringFragility of infrastructure components · Retrofit of critical structures · Post-event inspectionApplied here
- 11Urban and transport engineeringNetwork criticality · Climate-resilient design · Disruption operationsApplied here
- 12Process and industrial safety engineeringNatech risk assessment · Layers of protection · Learning from incidentsApplied here
Each method, its role in this field and how it is checked.
- Resilience engineeringRole hereReliability and resilience engineering is the method this platform stewards for the network.Checks appliedBack-casting events; Common-cause review; Operator review
- Systems engineeringRole hereSystems engineering treats infrastructure as a system of systems with requirements, interfaces and life cycles.Checks appliedRequirement traceability; Interface ownership; Operational verification
- Network scienceRole hereNetwork science represents infrastructure as nodes and links to measure structure, find critical elements and simulate how failures spread.Checks appliedTopology verification; Sensitivity to missing links; Validation against events
- Sensing IoTRole hereSensors, the internet of things and observation networks give operators continuous information on asset condition and service performance.Checks appliedSensor calibration; Data quality flags; Security of sensor networks
- CommunicationsRole hereCommunications and network technology carry control signals, emergency calls and data between infrastructure systems.Checks appliedPhysical route verification; Backup testing; Capacity under surge
- OptimisationRole hereOptimisation and operations research choose the best use of limited budgets, crews and capacity.Checks appliedScenario coverage; Constraint validation; Solution stability
- Space systemsRole hereSpace systems provide positioning, timing, communications and observation that infrastructure depends on.Checks appliedHoldover verification; Alternative source review; Imagery accuracy
- Energy technologyRole hereEnergy technologies, from batteries and fuel cells to distributed solar and microgrids, change how infrastructure keeps power through outages.Checks appliedLoad testing; Fuel logistics review; Maintenance records
- Power engineeringRole herePower engineering covers the generation, transmission, distribution and protection of electricity.Checks appliedModel validation; Restoration drills; Cost-effectiveness review
- Structural engineeringRole hereStructural and earthquake engineering decide whether buildings, bridges, towers and treatment plants withstand hazard loads.Checks appliedFragility validation; Peer review; Inspection consistency
- Urban transport engineeringRole hereUrban and transport engineering design and operate the roads, rail and public transport that move people and goods.Checks appliedModel calibration; Design value review; Equity of diversions
- Process safetyRole hereProcess and industrial safety engineering prevents fires, explosions and toxic releases in facilities that handle hazardous materials.Checks appliedScenario completeness; Safeguard independence; Regulatory consistency
How the process runs.
Process explorer · Process
Methods and uncertainty: PRISMA 2020 review reporting
10 steps·4 stages
Process
Methods and uncertainty: PRISMA 2020 review reporting
PRISMA 2020 is a reporting guideline for systematic reviews; the steps follow its checklist, not a mandated sequence, and no Nexus document adopts it.
01 Plan
- 01Registration and protocolRecord · The review teamThe guideline asks for registration details, access to the protocol and any amendments.
- 02Eligibility criteriaRecord · The review teamThe guideline asks for the inclusion and exclusion criteria and how studies were grouped.
02 Find and select
- 03Search: sources and strategiesStep · The review teamThe guideline asks for the information sources and the full search strategies. It does not fix which sources are used.
- 04Selection of studiesStep · The review teamThe guideline asks how studies were judged eligible, including how many reviewers screened. It does not fix the number of reviewers.
- 05Flow diagramRecordThe flow diagram shows the number of records found, the number of studies included and the reasons for exclusion.
03 Analyse
- 06Data collectionStep · The review teamThe guideline asks how data were collected from reports and which data items were sought.
- 07Risk of biasStep · The review teamThe guideline asks for the methods and tools used to assess risk of bias.
- 08SynthesisModel · The review teamThe guideline asks for the effect measures and the synthesis methods. It does not prescribe meta-analysis.
- 09Certainty of evidenceStep · The review teamThe guideline asks for the methods used to assess certainty, and reports the result per outcome. It does not name a grading scale.
04 Report
- 10Review reportRecordThe guideline helps authors report why the review was done, what they did and what they found.
ReportsOutline of an externally published reporting guideline, not a Nexus process and not a record of operation. PRISMA 2020 mainly covers reviews of intervention effects. No Nexus page names it. Every programme is at service level R0.
Where uncertainty in infrastructure analysis comes from, and how it is shown.
| Source | Why it matters here | How it is reported |
|---|---|---|
| Network data | Operators rarely share full topology | Data coverage stated; synthetic networks labelled |
| Fragility | Asset response to hazards varies by age and design | Fragility ranges |
| Restoration times | Depend on crews, spares and access | Distributions from past events |
| Dependencies | Often undocumented | Elicited and labelled as expert judgement |
Cascade results are reported as scenarios with the dependency assumptions listed.
How uncertainty is reported.
- 01
State assumptions
Each analysis lists its assumptions and the data it depends on.
- 02
Quantify where possible
Ranges and confidence are reported alongside central estimates.
- 03
Validate and compare
Models are checked against observations and, where possible, against other models.
- 04
Publish limits
What an analysis cannot show is stated beside what it can.
Where this page’s references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
Questions and answers.
Are the methods open?
Contribute evidence from this page.
Reports is the Consortium’s quarterly publication. What you know about this subject can become evidence, a case or a correction in the next edition, credited to you and published under CC BY 4.0 where it is your own work.
- EmailGateway GW-GCRISend it from this pageEvidence, a correction, a case, a method, a review, a translation or profile input. It arrives tagged with this page, so the editor who owns it receives it.
- ZenodoOpen depositDeposit it and submit to the communityPublish your own record on Zenodo with your ORCID iD, then submit it to the Reports community there. Curators review it; the DOI stays yours.
- ReportsGCRISee every way to contributeThe contribution types, how each is reviewed, what credit you receive, the licence and what is never accepted.
Never send personal data, sensitive infrastructure detail or anything you have no right to share. A contribution is reviewed before use; sending it confers no authorship or editorial rights, and sponsorship never buys a finding.
Bring a method, a dataset or a question.
Information and enquiries are open today. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.
Legal documents.
Maps, data and figures on this site are shown for context and general information. They are not advice, forecasts or warnings; the limits of the information are set out in the Disclaimers and Data Notices.