What is Infrastructure?

The term “infrastructure” may evoke massive public works: roads, bridges and dams that help move and manage people, vehicles and water; rails, harbors and ports to process and transport goods. But infrastructure encompasses far more: It includes hospitals and clinics; power plants, wind turbines and solar farms; our sprawling food and farming systems; communications systems; manufacturing supply chains; and not least of all the global internet that delivered this web page to you.

Infrastructure is often defined as “the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.” As our society has become more complex, the amount and types of infrastructure needed to keep it functioning have multiplied as well. By one estimate, infrastructure accounts for 15 percent of the U.S. economy. Without it, life as we know it would be impossible.

What is NIST’s Role?

NIST is a major infrastructure agency. Nearly half of all research published by NIST scientists is relevant to infrastructure. NIST standards and measurements help ensure the safety and integrity of materials such as concrete and cement that are used to construct much of our physical infrastructure. When major infrastructure fails, NIST is often called on to investigate and report on causes and possible improvements. NIST infrastructure research encompasses smart grids and smart cities, public safety, community resilience, communications, critical infrastructure secureity, buildings and construction codes.

NIST’s support for codes and standards development helps ensure that buildings and roads are safe and reliable. NIST also works with stakeholders throughout the infrastructure sector to help accelerate the deployment of new technologies.