Ahmadi, S Y; Lather, J I; Wittich, C E and Madson, K (2025) Current and future trends for resilient inland waterway transportation systems during flood disruptions. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(6): 04025046, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Inland waterway transportation systems (IWTS) are crucial to the United States' multimodal transportation network, facilitating the ecoefficient movement of significant freight volumes across a vast 25,000-mi network spanning 38 states. Despite their critical role in supporting national industrial, agricultural, and rural development, IWTS are increasingly vulnerable to flood disruptions, which pose significant operational and economic risks. This paper explores these vulnerabilities in detail, focusing on the resilience of IWTS to flood-induced disruptions. Our analysis reveals the multifaceted impacts of floods on IWTS, including direct infrastructure damage and broader socioeconomic effects on dependent communities and economies. A significant contribution of this research is developing a strategic resilience framework specifically for IWTS. This framework emphasizes adaptive strategies and integrates technical, organizational, social, and economic dimensions of resilience to enhance the IWTS's capacity to withstand and recover from flood events. The study also identifies critical gaps in current research and practice, highlighting the need for IWTS-specific strategies that incorporate socioeconomic factors, leverage advanced tools, and apply interdisciplinary approaches to flood risk management. By considering IWTS within the broader context of climate change and aging infrastructure, this paper advances the discussion on transportation resilience. It offers actionable insights for policymakers, infrastructure planners, and the research community, calling for more detailed and integrated research efforts to guide resilient and sustainable IWTS management and policy-making. Ultimately, this paper contributes to the resilience and continuity of this essential transportation infrastructure against natural hazards.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | flood; infrastructure resilience; inland waterway; sustainability; transportation systems |
| Index terms: | rural development, climate change, vulnerability, strategy, flood risk management, natural hazard, United States, movement, infrastructure resilience, dimension, transportation infrastructure, planner, waterway |
| Subjects: | Geography, financial risk, environmental hazards, land use and regional development, climate science, health behaviours and lifestyles, water management, management, infrastructure and transport systems, risk management, profession, health monitoring assessment and metrics |
| Topics: | Urban Studies, Roles and Professions, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Research Practice, Sustainability, Health and Safety, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here