UrbanInfrastructure

Integrating urban infrastructure and systems

CSIRO is taking a leading role in enhancing the ability of the nation to maintain and renew its urban infrastructure.

• 12 December 2007 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Overview
• Skills and experience
• Implementation
• Partnerships

Overview

Australia’s  transport systems, buildings, utilities and telecommunication networks face a complex set of challenges, most notably from the increasing water and energy demands of urban populations.

Simultaneously, Australia faces the challenge of climate change, ageing infrastructure assets and diminishing or eroded resources.

CSIRO is helping Australia improve the management, planning, delivery and operation of its urban infrastructure.

We have a long history of success in tackling the most complex infrastructure challenges.

Typically these relate to planning, design and modelling of individual facilities or entire urban systems. The expertise exists to monitor, assess and manage an entire infrastructure system.

Skills and experience

CSIRO has identified that effective evaluation and analysis tools are a prerequisite to meeting Australia’s infrastructure needs.

With the input of different engineering capabilities, we have developed computer modelling tools for city planners and the construction, transport and water industries.

Some of these tools and information management systems are already commercially available and more are being developed.

Implementation

Computer-based modelling allows information from every aspect of a complex system to be integrated with tools that enable computation-rich analysis and evaluation protocols.

These modelling technologies are the support system to a new generation of design, management and operation tools that enable:

• the comparison of alternative design or management strategies
• the exploration of different scenarios
• the design of innovative new alternatives or the best mix of tried and tested approaches.

A number of infrastructure-related and computer-based modelling tools are available such as RoadCrack. It's an automated real-time and vision-based system that detects cracks in road pavement significantly reducing maintenance costs.

Partnerships

Recent and ongoing project partners include the European Union CARE-S project that is involved in the development of computer-based models such as PARMS (Pipeline Asset & Risk management System).

CSIRO is also involved in the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Construction Innovation and the CRC for Water Quality and Treatment.

Learn more about CSIRO's work in Urban PlanningUrban PlanningUrban Planning.