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Features: Nov. 26, 2001
Researchers Study Vulnerabilities at
Ground Zero
A community's critical infrastructures—
communications, transportation, water,
electric power systems—are a challenge to run smoothly
even on the best days. In the wake of Sept. 11, researchers
at Rensselaer are studying how interdependent these systems
are and how systems operators handled the disruptions. The
goal of the study is to provide computer tools to aid in
future potential disasters.
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"It is imperative that we use
the knowledge gleaned from this horrific tragedy to
help prepare for potential disasters of this nature
around the globe."
—William "Al" Wallace '61—
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Critical infrastructure interdependencies
arise when two or more infrastructures must act together
to provide a service. An example is the need for both electric
power and communications infrastructures in the provision
of mass transportation service. If either power or communications
is disrupted, the subway would be at a standstill.
William "Al" Wallace '61, professor
of decision sciences and engineering systems, received one
of eight grants from the National Science Foundation to
collect data on structural engineering and damage assessment
while debris is being removed from the terrorist attack
sites in New York. Wallace's $70,000 grant was the second
largest of the eight awarded.
"The data we are collecting should give us a fairly
clear picture of how the systems' vulnerabilities were interpreted,
managed, and repaired by emergency response personnel. It
is imperative that we use the knowledge gleaned from this
horrific tragedy to help prepare for potential disasters
of this nature around the globe," said Wallace.
Wallace is working with Joe Chow, professor
of electrical, computer, and systems engineering, and David
Mendonça, Wallace's former graduate student who is
now professor of information systems at New Jersey Institute
of Technology.
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