Multimodal approach to enhance the implementation of integrated multi-infrastructure asset management

Municipal infrastructure systems, such as roads, water, sewer, and drainage systems, are densely co-located and are challenged by aging assets, urban growth, and climate-related risks, demanding a shift toward more integrated and strategic asset management. Existing studies have primarily focused on single-asset management, while research on multi-infrastructure asset management has been largely limited to modeling approaches. There remains a significant gap in developing a clear roadmap for the implementation of integrated multi-infrastructure asset management (IMAM). This dissertation develops a comprehensive, multimodal framework to understand and enhance the implementation of IMAM, based on data from an extensive literature review and an empirical survey of municipal infrastructure professionals. First, the cascading effects of repair and maintenance activities across road, drainage, water, and sewer networks are investigated using social network analysis (SNA) and thematic analysis. The results reveal how a single repair activity can trigger subsequent actions across interdependent infrastructure systems. The thematic analysis further identifies the root causes of these cascading effects and highlights best practices. Second, the influence of IMAM practices on infrastructure performance outcomes is examined using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings reveal that IMAM practices grouped under inventory management, investigation, condition assessment, performance evaluation, and renewal planning significantly enhance performance outcomes categorized under cost and time savings, asset resiliency, and sustainability. Third, the barriers to implementing IMAM are categorized under policy, organizational, data, work process, and funding domains. SEM is employed to examine both direct and mediating effects of different barrier constructs. Results highlight that policy and data/information systems barriers are the most critical constraints in IMAM adoption. The study also reveals that the impact of barriers varies across municipalities. Together, these three objectives contribute to theory and practice by providing a holistic understanding of IMAM implementation and its value to municipal infrastructure systems. This research contributes to theory by advancing our understanding of interdependencies between infrastructure systems, IMAM practices, and the dynamics of barriers that hinder implementation. It also offers practical tools, such as failure propagation maps, best practices rankings, and barrier roadmaps, to guide more planned and coordinated multi-infrastructure management.