Evaluation of vulnerability in water conveyance systems using the clustering method

Municipal water conveyance systems are the important infrastructures which provide potable water and sanitation for populous cities and regions. It is therefore، necessary، in designing these infrastructures، to take account of their compliance with relevant technical standards، continuity of services in the event of damages incurred، and the reinstatement of the system as quickly as possible. In this context، the application of the theory of vulnerability of water conveyance systems – set up assuming hierarchical analysis method - is very useful. This theory consists of two stages: clustering and opening. The outcome of applying a method based on this theory is that a map of the damaged parts of the system can be drawn، and appropriate solutions can be found to reduce the consequential damages following the initial damage. The hierarchical model of a system is made by using the clustering method، and the opening process results in detecting the deterioration scenarios. In this article، the proposed theory is briefly introduced، and its application is explained by elaborating on a system of water conveyance and distribution as an example.