A review of flood damage analysis for a building structure and contents

Abstract

As a natural hazard, flood can cause a significant damage to buildings. Buildings are one of the important components of an economy which are providing the necessary space for human activities. In this regard, any considerable changes to their serviceability affect living condition of people locally, regionally, and even globally. Thus, building damage analysis forms a crucial part of a flood risk analysis. This review paper provides an insight into flood damage analysis for a building structure and contents: past works, current state, and required improvements. The discussed buildings include residential, commercial, and industrial types. The methods are divided into two main categories: (1) using real data and empirical models, and (2) using what-if analysis and analytical models. Differences in damage analysis of a building structure and its contents are explained in a separate section. Flood factors influencing the damage to a building structure and its contents are presented. How a method considers some of those flood factors is described. Limitations and shortcomings of each method alongside their advantages and strength are discussed. Lack of reliable data for both model construction and validation is one of the main issues with the methods in both categories. Inability to convey the uncertainty is the other main issue identified in the literature.