The Application of Graph Theory to Public Infrastructure Asset Management

Infrastructure Networks (INs) have reached a level of complexity where conventional reliability analysis methods cannot fulfil the challenges for the management of this increased complexity. There is, therefore, a need for a complementary approach through which the structural complexity and the level of interaction among the components are studied. As such, researchers have increasingly looked to graph theory for help in understanding the structure, efficiency, and reliability of INs. The desire to employ the graph theory has resulted in the proliferation of a wide range of topological metrics. To gain a better appreciation for how various graph theory quantities have been used for asset management of INs, this article documents a variety of concepts from graph theory in one place and presents an overview of the application of graph theory in the field of INs. The conventional graph theory methods are criticized on several grounds and the future evolution of graph theory tools is forecast.