How you would manage the aging infrastructure
“Find Your State,” and discuss how you would manage the aging infrastructure
Identify vulnerability(s) of infrastructure
Steps you would implement to mitigate immediate and long range threats/hazards to the infrastructure
To find your state, you can use the following steps:
- Go to the website of the United States Census Bureau.
- Click on the "Data" tab.
- Click on the "State and County QuickFacts" link.
- On the State and County QuickFacts page, scroll down to the "State" section.
- Click on the name of your state.
- Assessing the condition of infrastructure. States need to identify which infrastructure assets are in need of repair or replacement. This can be done through visual inspections, nondestructive testing, and other methods.
- Prioritizing infrastructure investments. Once the condition of infrastructure has been assessed, states need to prioritize which assets need to be addressed first. This prioritization should be based on a number of factors, including the condition of the asset, its importance to the community, and the cost of repair or replacement.
- Developing a funding strategy. States need to develop a funding strategy to finance the repair and replacement of aging infrastructure. This funding can come from a variety of sources, including state taxes, federal grants, and user fees.
- Implementing infrastructure projects. Once a funding strategy has been developed, states need to implement infrastructure projects to repair or replace aging assets. This work should be done in a way that minimizes disruption to essential services.
- As infrastructure ages, it becomes more likely to fail.
- Environmental factors. Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and floods, can damage infrastructure.
- Wear and tear. Heavy use can cause infrastructure to wear down and fail.
- Lack of maintenance. Inadequate maintenance can also lead to infrastructure failure.
- Repairing and replacing aging infrastructure. This is the most important step that can be taken to mitigate the risks associated with aging infrastructure.
- Hardening infrastructure against extreme weather events. This can be done by elevating infrastructure, building seawalls, and using other methods to protect infrastructure from damage.
- Improving maintenance practices. This can help to extend the life of infrastructure and reduce the risk of failure.
- Developing redundancy in infrastructure systems. This can help to minimize disruptions to essential services in the event of an infrastructure failure.