Earthquake damage assessment system for New Taipei City

Abstract

Earthquakes have caused considerable structural damage globally in the past few decades. These incidents have demonstrated the severe and lasting effects of seismic activity on society and the economy. If an effective earthquake damage assessment system can be constructed, seismic disasters and damage can be estimated before an earthquake occurs. Relevant prevention and relief efforts can then be developed accordingly, including effective implementation of disaster prevention, disaster relief, accident handling, disaster investigation, and reconstruction. In addition, when an earthquake occurs, such a system can estimate, for example, the numbers of collapsed buildings and casualties, which will aid post-seismic emergency response and can be used to reduce seismic damage. This study has combined domestic and international disaster damage assessment models to estimate post-seismic damage using grid-based data and an earthquake damage estimation system. The simple interface and expandable framework of the system provide it with flexibility and convenience for future system extension. If additional detailed data provided by local government units can be integrated into the system, the system can serve as a reference for policy-making regarding seismic damage prevention and relief in various local government units.