Android-based framework for condition assessment of existing RC hospital buildings

Abstract

Rapid visual screening (RVS) is a practically viable tool implemented all over the world to rank structures based on their seismic vulnerability. Seismic assessment of hospital buildings is essential in seismic-prone regions to ensure their structural integrity and readiness to provide emergency care and medical treatment after significant seismic events. Therefore, in the current study, an approach is developed that is similar to the proven methodologies reported in the literature, for the seismic evaluation of structural and non-structural elements of hospital buildings in a metropolitan city like Karachi. Karachi is located in the southwest of Pakistan and is vulnerable to earthquake and tsunami hazards. To this end, an android-based RVS system has been developed for large-scale seismic risk mapping of hospital buildings. The proposed system acquires the physical status of the building features in real time and identifies the building performance obtained from the calculated seismic risk index. Moreover, three case study hospital buildings were employed and analysed through the proposed RVS system. Results illustrate the performance of case study hospital buildings at organisational, structural and non-structural levels based on seismic risk indices.