Constructing cost-effective infrastructure networks

Abstract: The need for reliable and low-cost infrastructure is crucial in today's world. However, achieving both at the same time is often challenging. Traditionally, infrastructure networks are designed with a radial topology lacking redundancy, which makes them vulnerable to disruptions. As a result, network topologies have evolved towards a ring topology with only one redundant edge and, from there, to more complex mesh networks. However, we prove that large rings are unreliable. Our research shows that a sparse mesh network with a small number of redundant edges that follow some design rules can significantly improve reliability while remaining cost-effective. Moreover, we have identified key areas where adding redundant edges can impact network reliability the most by using the SAIDI index, which measures the expected number of consumers disconnected from the source node. These findings offer network planners a valuable tool for quickly identifying and addressing reliability issues without the need for complex simulations. Properly planned sparse mesh networks can thus provide a reliable and a cost-effective solution to modern infrastructure challenges.