The paper concerns a risk assessment and management methodology in critical infrastructures. The aim of the paper is to present researches on risk management within the experimentation tool based on the OSCAD software. The researches are focused on interdependent infrastructures where the specific phenomena, like escalating and cascading effects, may occur. The objective of the researches is to acquire knowledge about risk issues within interdependent infrastructures, to assess the usefulness of the OSCAD-based risk manager in this application domain, and to identify directions for further R&D works. The paper contains a short introduction to risk management in critical infrastructures, presents the state of the art, and the context, plan and scenarios of the performed validation experiments. Next, step by step, the validation is performed. It encompasses two collaborating infrastructures (railway, energy). It is shown how a hazardous event impacts the given infrastructure (primary and secondary eects) and the neighbouring infrastructure. In the conclusions the experiments are summarized, the OSCAD software assessed and directions of the future works identified.
The article aims to study the determinants of the energy policy implementation process from
risks and danger perspectives by building the risk management system model. The research methodology
is based on the application of the risk map to the energy policy. Our results confirmed
that the risk map could be applied in the energy industry to identify the risks and to implement the
energy policy risk management system model which will prevent critical uncertainties and risk
structure, identified from the risk map as well as bring the energy industry to the future state by
implementing scenarios and strategies, developed by the World Energy Council. The research limitations
are that the main limits are concerned with the lack of the evaluation results of the energy
policy risks aimed for the system management of the changes which these risks may introduce. No
empirical study has been conducted. The application of the risk map is related in a major part to
the enterprise level with financial and technical purposes of changes. In the research we made an
attempt to develop the managerial recommendations for the regulators on how to make a transitions
of risks to opportunities of introducing and managing changes in the framework of the energy
policy risk management system model. The originality/ value of the paper consists firstly, in the innovativeness
of applying the tool of matrix forecasting to the energy sector; secondly, in providing
a supporting tool to policy-makers and managers decisions.
Earth Pressure Balanced shields are currently the most utilized tunnelling machines throughout around the world. The possibility of using conditioning agents that change the mechanical and hydraulic behaviour of a soil, changing it into a plastic paste and thus permitting soil pressure applications at the tunnel face, is the key point to explain the increasing utilization of this technology. Despite its great importance, not much laboratory researches can be registered on soil conditioning, particularly for cohesionless soils. The conditioning criterion is usually defined on the basis of a trial-and-error procedure developed directly at the job sites. A test that is able to simulate the extraction of soil from the bulk chamber with the screw conveyor inclined upwards, as in real machines, can offer a quantitative indication of the conditioned soil behavior for EPB use. The characteristics of the device and the results obtained on many different types of soil are discussed in order to point out the great importance and quality of results that can be achieved using the proposed test device.
The paper features some aspects of providing information security and business continuity to public administration by means of an integrated computer-aided management system OSCAD. The system is based on international standards ISO/IEC 270001 and BS 25999 (ISO 22301). First, the significance of information security and business continuity issues in public administration was presented along with a short introduction to the applied standards. Then the possibilities of the OSCAD system were discussed together with the examples how the system can solve the problems encountered by public administration.
The European standards, developed extensively over last 30 years, are driven by the need for continuous evolution and their Authors’ pursuit of better EU-wide quality in civil engineering – combining safety, economy, and sustainable development. The adoption of theory of reliability as the basis for design has played a major role in shaping current geotechnical practice. However, it requires from practitioners a greater understanding of underlying uncertainties. Furthermore, a number of alternative approaches, not generally used in structural design, are also allowed, as some situations in geotechnical engineering require an individual approach. Moreover, the current trends in geoengineering increase the importance of risk assessment and management. The paper presents general philosophy guiding the geotechnical design and pointing to some of the ideas introduced by Eurocode 7 and its requirements, in relation to preexisting practice of geotechnical design in civil engineering.
This paper focuses on the analysis of selected risks as part of investments in the power
engineering at the initial (tender) stage of the life cycle in the context of the method of
project management by the Contractor. The study was carried out on the basis of an
analysis of over 500 tenders in the power engineering, from the last 5 years, taking into
account future forecast data. The analysis carried out in this article was aimed at achieving
specific and unique goals and results aimed at creating a useful product, which is the
Contractor’s offer in the power engineering, taking into account the most significant risks.
The result of this article is to support the project team in implementing risk management
in the project at the tender stage. For this purpose, the risks with their basic parameters
were defined, which allowed for the development of a risk matrix taking into account the
data obtained in the tender procedures of leading electric power distributors. Based on
the proposed risk quantification criteria, a list of remedial actions was prepared for all risk
types listed in this article. In addition, the aspects of possible elimination/reduction of the
impact of the most significant risks that occur at the analyzed stage of the investment life
cycle were developed.
The aim of the article is to present the issue of risk and related management methods, with a particular emphasis on the conditions of investment in energy infrastructure. The work consists of two main parts; the first one is the theoretical analysis of the issue, while the second discusses the application of analysis methods on the example of the investment in an agricultural biogas plant. The article presents the definitions related to the investment risk and its management, with a particular emphasis on the distinction between the risk and uncertainty. In addition, the main risk groups of the energy sector were subjected to an analysis. Then, the basic systematics and the division into particular risk groups were presented and the impact of the diversification of investments in the portfolio on the general level of risk was determined. The sources of uncertainty were discussed with particular attention to the categories of energy investments. The next part of the article presents risk mitigation methods that are part of the integrated risk management process and describes the basic methods supporting the quantification of the risk level and its effects – including the Monte Carlo (MC), Value at risk (VaR), and other methods. Finally, the paper presents the possible application of the methods presented in the theoretical part. The investment in agricultural biogas plant, due to the predictable operation accompanied by an extremely complicated and long-term investment process, was the subject of the analysis. An example of “large drawing analysis” was presented, followed by a Monte Carlo simulation and a VaR value determination. The presented study allows for determining the risk in the case of deviation of financial flows from the assumed values in particular periods and helps in determining the effects of such deviations. The conducted analysis indicates a low investment risk and suggests the ease of similar calculations for other investments.
The chapter deals with the issue of the risk and security management process in public administration, according to the internal audit standards and their requirements. Main legal acts and standards were specified and shortly described. Specially the risk analysis process and security measures selection were emphasized. The possibility to use the software tools for the risk analysis and security measures selection support in public administration was presented. The experiment of OSCAD usage in public administration was shortly described and its results were presented. This experiment shows that the software primarily intended for IT Security Management can be used for risk management in different area as well, for example – in public administration. Some possibilities of further development of risk management supporting tools were proposed.
The paper features a comprehensive approach to risk management worked out during the ValueSec project (EU 7th Framework Programme). The motivation for research was presented, along with the course of the research, achieved project results and validation results. The methodology of risk management and a supporting tool were developed as a result of the project. They help decision makers to make complex strategic decisions about security measures. These complex decision-related problems were the reason to launch the research. The elaborated methodology is based on three pillars: assessment of the considered security measure ability to reduce risk, costs and benefits analysis with respect to the security measure application, and analysis of legal, social, cultural, and other restrictions that might impair or even destroy the efficiency of the functioning measures. In the project these restrictions are called qualitative criteria. The main added value of the ValueSec project is the elaboration of a special software module to analyse impacts of qualitative criteria on the considered measure. Based on the methodology, a ValueSec Toolset prototype was developed. The prototype was then validated in the following application domains: mass event, railway transport security, airport and air transport security, protection against flood, and protection of smart grids against cyber-attacks.
Flood risk management are considerably influenced by several factors, such as all sources of flooding, social circum-stances, policy and even the potential for local economic growth. To encourage government, business, community and oth-er parties to continue investing in flood risk management projects, it is necessary to give understanding that the projects can also provide economic benefits through systematic predictions and assessments of costs, benefits and social values, espe-cially on flood-affected communities. This study aims: (1) to develop knowledge and understanding on small-scale flood risk management project in Malang City, Indonesia, and; (2) to assess the economic efficiency of the project investment considering all benefits, both monetary and non-monetary. The research method is a mixed method combining quantitative questionnaires (N = 53 from 162 families) with qualitative in-depth interviews (N = 10) and field observations. The runoff discharge and the inundation depth were calculated using hydrology and hydraulic analysis, while the economic efficiency was analysed using cost benefit analysis (CBA). The results show that the community-based flood risk management system can reduce the flood risk up to 30% compared to before the implementation of that system. This system also provides direct financial benefits through the use of drainage channels for fish and vegetables farming. It causes the increase of the net so-cial benefit about 70–90% and the net present value (NPV) greater than zero (NPV > 0). Therefore, the project investment is recommended to be proceeded.
Construction work on buildings covered by the revitalization program of historic urban development represents a special type of construction project in which, in the execution phase, difficult technical situations and other risk sources are being encountered. An important source of risk is the necessity to preserve a part of the historic substance, which results, among others, from the recommendations of the conservator, legal regulations or from the vision of the architect/investor. The risk is also associated with difficulties and complications in construction works resulting from the location of these objects in dense urban development. The aim of the article is to identify risk factors and reactions of contractors, i.e. applied risk management methods and techniques, based on the example of a complex of buildings constructed in the historic district of Krakow. The elimination of sources of risk, especially of a technical nature, requires the construction management to be highly skilled and experienced, to carefully prepare the construction work and to design additional solutions to ensure safety at work. The experience gained may serve as a basis for risk analysis and identification during the implementation of projects involving the use of an existing building and historic substance in areas subject to revitalization programs.
Most scheduling methods used in the construction industry to plan repetitive projects assume that process durations are deterministic. This assumption is acceptable if actions are taken to reduce the impact of random phenomena or if the impact is low. However, construction projects at large are notorious for their susceptibility to the naturally volatile conditions of their implementation. It is unwise to ignore this fact while preparing construction schedules. Repetitive scheduling methods developed so far do respond to many constructionspecific needs, e.g. of smooth resource flow (continuity of work of construction crews) and the continuity of works. The main focus of schedule optimization is minimizing the total time to complete. This means reducing idle time, but idle time may serve as a buffer in case of disruptions. Disruptions just happen and make optimized schedules expire. As process durations are random, the project may be delayed and the crews’ workflow may be severely affected to the detriment of the project budget and profits. For this reason, the authors put forward a novel approach to scheduling repetitive processes. It aims to reduce the probability of missing the deadline and, at the same time, to reduce resource idle time. Discrete simulation is applied to evaluate feasible solutions (sequence of units) in terms of schedule robustness.