Review on SPH modelling techniques in lifeline disaster simulations

The lifeline emergency and safety systems constitute the critical infrastructure networks that sustain our modern society. They play a key role in ensuring the smooth functioning of transportation, communication and other economic activities, as well as guaranteeing public safety and human well-being. The smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) approach has emerged as a powerful mesh-free numerical modelling technique with wide-ranging applications, one of which relates to the simulation of natural disasters in the field of lifeline engineering. The present review paper provides a comprehensive introduction to the SPH fundamentals, its applications in the urban lifeline studies, and its specific role in dam-break-disaster simulations. Through a synthesis of theoretical principles and case studies, this paper aims to elucidate the effectiveness and challenges of employing SPH techniques in addressing some of the critical issues of lifeline infrastructure resilience and flood risk management.