Nanyang Technological University Singapore
Led by Asst. Prof. Alex Sixie Cao
A scientific basis for responsible infrastructure decisions across generations.
We connect structural mechanics, system reliability, and decision theory to understand how structures and infrastructure systems behave, adapt, and fail under uncertainty.
Our perspective
Decisions about infrastructure combine physical performance with societal preferences and limited resources. We study how these relationships change with climate, demographic, and socioeconomic conditions. Our aim is to support rational, ethical, and sustainable choices across generations.
Components interact to shape system behaviour. We study how these interactions influence reliability and robustness.
Safety decisions reflect societal preferences and the resources available. Their consequences extend to the communities we serve today and to future generations.
Information, costs, and uncertain future conditions shape infrastructure decisions. We compare possible actions and their consequences for systems and society.
Examples across our research
Structural Safety, 102773
An entropy-based formulation connects an attacker’s knowledge with the defender’s uncertainty, showing how information can influence system robustness.
ICONHIC 2026, Chania, Greece
Economic growth, mortality, and population ageing change the valuation of life-safety benefits over time, with implications for long-term safety investments.
IABSE Symposium 2026, Copenhagen, Denmark
A decision-theoretic analysis combines future flood risk, intervention costs, and avoided consequences to compare bridge interventions under different climate scenarios.
Students & collaborators
We welcome students and collaborators interested in reliability, risk acceptance, and risk-informed decision-making. Recruitment is open. Please contact us to discuss current opportunities.
