Improving infrastructure service and access for communities
Dr. Kasey M. Faust
Associate Professor & John A. Focht Centennial Teaching Fellow in Civil Engineering
Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
University of Texas at Austin
The reliability of critical infrastructure systems is increasingly strained by aging assets, limited resources, and exposure to compounding social and environmental stressors. These challenges are especially pronounced in remote and rural regions, where interdependencies among water, energy, transportation, and communication systems amplify both risk and opportunity. To address these complexities, I study infrastructure as sociotechnical systems—interwoven networks shaped not only by their physical components but also by human expertise, institutional capacity, and local context. My work seeks to advance understanding of how these systems function, adapt, and recover in dynamic environments to inform equitable and sustainable infrastructure decision-making.
Traditionally, infrastructure systems have been examined in isolation and as purely technical entities. I posit that they are inherently sociotechnical, and that their performance depends on the interaction of technical, organizational, and cultural dimensions. Drawing from construction engineering and systems thinking, I develop analytical frameworks that capture these interactions and support adaptive infrastructure planning and management.
Current projects in Alaska illustrate this approach. One effort leverages drone-based data collection and digital twin modeling to assess and visualize infrastructure vulnerabilities in remote communities, integrating environmental and operational data for decision support. Another investigates infrastructure interdependencies and local adaptation strategies through community-engaged research, identifying how residents navigate disruptions and maintain critical services in challenging conditions.
A complementary area of my research focuses on improving capital project delivery by examining how workforce constraints, institutional processes, and stakeholder collaboration influence project outcomes. Across all projects, my goal is to bridge human and technical perspectives to build infrastructure systems that are resilient, context-aware, and socially responsive.
Email: faustk at utexas.edu
Phone: (512) 475-8059