Files
Abstract
The complex topology and adaptive behavior of infrastructure systems are driven by both self-organization of the demand and rigid engineering solutions. Therefore, the engineering complex system requires a method balancing holism and reductionism. To model the growth of water distribution networks (WDNs), a complex network model was developed following the combination of local optimization rules and engineering considerations. The demand node generation is dynamic and follows the scaling law of urban growth. The proposed model can generate WDN similar to reported real-world WDNs on some structural properties. Comparison with different modeling approaches indicates that a realistic demand node distribution and co-evolvement of demand node and network are important for the simulation of real complex networks. Combining with a pipe sizing algorithm, this dynamic model was used to investigate the effect of system size on cost efficiency of WDNs and find the optimum planning horizon for WDN expansion design.