Rapid Visual Screening Method Research Articles

Enhancing seismic assessment and risk management of buildings: A neural network-based rapid visual screening method development

Some of the existing buildings are designed based on lower design standards or even without considering seismic design standards. Recent earthquakes have further highlighted the vulnerability of these buildings when subjected to severe seismic activity. Consequently, it has become imperative to conduct seismic vulnerability assessments of the existing building stock. Therefore, the assessment of the existing building stock is required through the utilization of Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) methods. However, the existing conventional RVS methods used in seismic building assessments have shown limited accuracy. Furthermore, because these methods were developed based on expert opinions and/or due to access limitations to detailed assessment-based generated data used for their development, further enhancing them is challenging. To address these limitations, a new RVS method, which leverages Neural Networks (NN) and building-specific parameters, for reinforced concrete, adobe mud, bamboo, brick, stone, and timber buildings has been proposed in this study. Unlike conventional methods that rely on site seismicity class, the developed data-driven approach incorporates building-specific parameters such as the fundamental structural period and building spectral acceleration. The developed RVS method is specifically tailored to analyze diverse types of buildings in regions with varying seismicity risks, all in preparation for an impending earthquake. In this study, the developed RVS method demonstrated a promising 68% test accuracy, effectively representing the building performance against earthquakes. These findings illustrate the potential of the developed NN based RVS method in assessing existing buildings, thereby mitigating potential loss of life and property during imminent earthquake and alleviating the associated economic burden. Furthermore, this study introduces a new RVS method that can pave the way for future advancements in the field of seismic vulnerability assessment of existing buildings.

Assessments of the Vulnerability and Demand Capacity Ratio of Old Public Buildings Structures

The collapse of buildings during seismic shocks resulted in many fatalities due to the earthquake. Existing structures constructed under previous regulations with an earthquake intensity value less than the present seismic intensity are the most affected, particularly low-rise buildings. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) releases codes to evaluate the vulnerability of buildings to earthquakes to anticipate the possibility of damage to existing structures caused by earthquakes. According to the FEMA P154-2015 code, in the regulation, there are stages consisting of Tier 1 (screening), Tier 2 (evaluation), and Tier 3 (detailed), as well as building evaluation with the Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) approach. The vulnerability of twelve existing buildings in Surakarta and Yogyakarta Indonesia has been assessed, those are low-rise buildings (2-3 floors) that were built around 1980 and still stand as public facilities. The evaluation result of existing buildings with the RVS method, eight buildings are declared safe against earthquakes (S≥2) and four buildings are considered vulnerable to earthquakes (S<2). Evaluation for those four buildings should proceed to the Tier 2 evaluation. One of the school buildings in Surakarta was evaluated under Tier 2. The evaluation was conducted with Static Linear Elastic Procedures (LESP) and Linear Elastic Dynamic Procedures (LEDP).

A Study of Building Structure Resilience to Seismic in the Batu Pahat Area using Rapid Visual Screening Method

This study is aimed at evaluating the durability of buildings in Batu Pahat area against seismic activity. To carry out this assessment, data about the building structure is collected, including architect plans, site investigations, and photos. This data is then processed and analysed using manual methods. To determine the Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) value, the coordinates of Batu Pahat area are needed. This value can be calculated using Mathematica software, which gives a PGA value of 0.0553 g for Batu Pahat area. Based on this value, the Low Map Area form is used for the evaluation, using the ATC-21 form. The evaluation results indicate that 70% of the buildings in the area are in good condition, 25% are in a satisfactory condition, and only 5% are in a weak condition. However, it is important to note that even though only a small percentage of buildings are classified as weak, it does not mean that seismic hazards can be ignored. The study also suggests that the durability of building structures depends on various factors, such as the columns' strength, the building's bottom situation (e.g., empty space or unit), the building's shape (e.g., plan or upright), and the surrounding area's situation. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into the durability of buildings in the Batu Pahat area against seismic activity. It provides crucial information for stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding building safety in the region. The study's findings will guide decision-making processes, helping determine necessary precautions, retrofitting measures, or potential relocation of high-risk buildings. By enhancing the resilience of buildings, this evaluation contributes to the safety and well-being of occupants in the face of seismic hazards. Ultimately, the study's comprehensive assessment and subsequent insights lay the groundwork for informed decision-making and proactive measures to mitigate seismic risks, benefiting the overall resilience of buildings in the Batu Pahat District.

Comparative Study of Rapid Visual Screening Methods in Determining the Seismic Vulnerability of Existing Reinforced Concrete Hospital Buildings

Comparative Study of Rapid Visual Screening Methods in Determining the Seismic Vulnerability of Existing Reinforced Concrete Hospital Buildings

Evaluation of rapid seismic safety assessment methods on a substandard reinforced concrete building stock in Istanbul

Exposure, hazard and vulnerability are the components of seismic risk, and knowledge on the vulnerability of the existing buildings is vital to properly assess their risks in seismically active regions. Unfortunately, it is not easy to assess the vulnerability of individual buildings realistically in large building stocks, particularly for regions where the buildings do not comply with the current and previous code regulations. In this study, for assessing the accuracy, applicability and cost-effectiveness of available rapid seismic safety assessment procedures for individual reinforced concrete buildings in huge building stocks, five second stage and three rapid visual screening methods are examined in a comparative manner. For this purpose, these eight methods are used to assess the seismic risks of actual service buildings of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which had been previously evaluated by the third-level detailed code-based seismic performance assessment procedures. Furthermore, comprehensive site works have been conducted to compute the average time required for collecting data on each parameter necessary to use the investigated rapid assessment methods. Finally, the most cost and time-effective, and highly accurate rapid assessment method among the examined ones is selected to be applied to a vast amount of structures in Istanbul to prioritize them in terms of their seismic risks and plan the large volume mitigation interventions through a realistic and efficient approach.

Evaluation of rapid visual screening assessment of existing buildings using nonlinear numerical analysis

Different methodologies are available in the literature to perform seismic assessment of existing buildings. Amongst the simplified ones, Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) methodologies have been recently developed and proposed. RVS methods are simplified procedures that can be implemented rather quickly for preliminary assessment of building vulnerability without the need to perform a detailed model and numerical analysis. Their application is particularly useful in regions characterised by high seismicity or where an important share of the buildings was not designed according to seismic provisions. The outcome of RVS methods is a safety index, based on the data from simplified forms that are filled during visual inspection of the buildings. For this reason, the accuracy of the results could be significantly affected by building features that cannot be considered by such forms. To address this issue and to evaluate the effectiveness of RVS methods, this paper focuses on the comparison between the results of a specific RVS method and those from advanced numerical modelling and nonlinear analyses of masonry-infilled reinforced concrete buildings. Several case-study buildings were selected from a database developed in the framework of a recently concluded European project, which focused on the seismic risk assessment of residential buildings in Northern Algeria, a seismic prone region. The buildings are analysed using detailed structural finite element models, through both nonlinear static and dynamic analysis, considering also the influence of mechanical and geometrical properties of the masonry infills. The comparison results show that, despite the significant variability observed in the RVS vulnerability assessment outcomes, there is a fair overall match with the nonlinear analysis results, confirming the utility of RVS methods at an initial assessment stage, as well as the need for further extended validation research efforts.

A Machine-Learning-Based Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Approach for Low-Rise RC Buildings

ABSTRACT Seismic vulnerability evaluation of existing buildings is essential to minimize the destructive impacts of earthquakes. Rapid visual screening (RVS) methods are simple and effective vulnerability assessment techniques to help quickly identify high-risk buildings for more detailed evaluations. Among various RVS methods, the Hassan–Sozen priority index (PI) is one of the simplest methods that can be used for low-rise reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. The PI relates simple, easily attainable geometric features of a building including number of stories, floor area, column area, and wall area to damageability. However, the relationship is overly simplified, and there is no absolute basis for defining damage classification boundaries that can be used to interpret the PI. Furthermore, given the lack of seismic parameters as inputs, the PI only allows for a relative evaluation of buildings in a specific region. To address these issues and develop a more broadly applicable RVS method, this study first proposes an improved PI evaluation method using machine learning techniques to define damage classification boundaries. Then, a new generalized RVS method is proposed that considers the PI input features and earthquake intensity measures to predict damage states. Data from six post-earthquake damage surveys (Duzce (1999), Bingol (2003), Nepal (2015), Taiwan (2016), Ecuador (2016), and Pohang (2017)) are used to train and evaluate the classification models. Two earthquake intensity features, modified Mercalli intensity and peak ground acceleration, are introduced to develop a new earthquake intensity aware RVS. The results of the proposed methodologies show a considerable improvement from the original PI with no judgment needed to define the damage classification boundaries.

Rapid seismic visual screen method for masonry infilled reinforced concrete framed buildings: Application to typical Sri Lankan school buildings

Seismic rapid visual screening (RVS) methods are used when a large stock of structures is to be evaluated for seismic risk. Although several RVS methods are available, applications of those methods to appraise the seismic risk of reinforced concrete framed (RC) buildings with irregularities in masonry infill walls (MIWs) are limited. School buildings constructed in Sri Lanka are built with certain RC frame typologies; however, they vary in terms of MIW arrangements used. Therefore, a new RVS method is proposed to evaluate the seismic risk of masonry infilled reinforced concrete (RC-MIW) buildings, particularly for the typical RC-MIW school buildings in Sri Lanka. The proposed RVS method incorporates irregularities of MIW arrangements in the typical RC buildings, the attributes of which are not well accounted in the available RVS methods. The vulnerability attributes such as short column and soft storey effects, arise due to the irregularities of MIW arrangements in the buildings, are explicitly incorporated in the proposed RVS method. The FEMA P-154 guidelines were followed to develop basic scores, score modifiers and minimum scores in the proposed RVS method. For that purpose, seismic performances of RC-MIW schools with various MIW irregularities were numerically analysed. The effectiveness of the proposed RVS method is compared with the existing RVS methods to evaluate the seismic risk of typical RC-MIW school buildings in Sri Lanka. It is shown that the proposed RVS method is capable of capturing the seismic risks of such typical RC-MIW Sri Lankan school buildings.

Evaluation of seismic vulnerability assessment building using rapid visual screening method: case study at the Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business of Islamic State Prof. KH. Saifuddin Zuhri University

Indonesia is one of the nations that is more prone to earthquakes due to its location at the intersection of the Indo-Australian, Eurasian, and Pacific plates. This study aims to find out the vulnerability and final score of the Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business of Islamic State Prof. KH. Saifuddin Zuhri University used the RVS method based on FEMA P-154, where this method is one of the earliest methods used to evaluate the vulnerability of a building, and has a final value limit of 2. If the final score is more than 2, then the building under review has a low vulnerability to earthquakes and vice versa. This building is one of the mid-rise buildings in Purwokerto which was established in 2019. Based on RVS analysis, the final score was 3.6 for the category of concrete moment-resisting frames (C1) and 1.4 for the category of concrete frames with unreinforced masonry infill walls (C3). Thus, the results showed this 6-story building has a vulnerability to earthquakes with a high category of a high probability of damage to level 3 and a very high probability of level 2 damage.

Determining the regional disaster risk analysis of buildings in Erzincan

Erzincan is located in a region sensitive to seismic activities, which can destroy buildings and lead to loss of life because of severe earthquakes. Furthermore, analysing and determining structural risks is important because it reduces possible disaster risks and provides mitigation strategies. This study aims to assess the seismic vulnerability of existing buildings in Erzincan using a rapid visual screening method and create a regional-scale inventory. Furthermore, 490 residential reinforced concrete buildings in five neighbourhoods were analysed using a street scanning method (first-level evaluation) developed by METU, and maps were created using the ArcGIS program. The results revealed that poor construction quality, soft ground, and heavy overhang are the main vulnerability parameters that change the risk priority range of reinforced concrete residential buildings. Conversely, poor construction quality affected most first-priority buildings. Therefore, there is a need for effective seismic mitigation planning for Erzincan, as 49 % of buildings in the surveyed neighbourhoods required a second-stage assessment. In addition, the method ranks the buildings according to their risk priorities, and the obtained data on the map provided useful information for effective strategies for implementing risk reduction policies in Erzincan.

Development and rapid visual screening analysis of an Italian masonry building portfolio using post-earthquake damage observations

The damage observed during the seismic events occurred in Italy over the years have highlighted the seismic vulnerability of the existing masonry buildings. A significant percentage of the Italian masonry building heritage was built before the introduction of seismic provisions and their design was essentially based on the experience of professionals. Depending on the main characteristics of these buildings, both local and global damage mechanisms were observed during the post-earthquake inspections following the seismic events that occurred in Italy in the last 50 years, which have been cataloged by the Italian Civil Protection Department in the Da.D.O. platform (Observed Damage Database - Observed Damage Database). Using the data available in the Da.D.O. platform, this paper processes the main characteristics of the masonry buildings damaged by the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake to develop a representative masonry building portfolio. Such masonry buildings were then evaluated through nonlinear static analyses to identify the main sources of structural weakness and to develop or calibrate a simplified rapid visual screening (RVS) procedure. For this purpose, various RVS methods were applied to a number of buildings of the portfolio, obtaining different vulnerability indices to be scrutinized and compared with those obtained through FEM analytical methods. This ultimate goal is to identify the most seismically vulnerable buildings, with a view to prioritization, and to assist decision makers in implementing seismic risk reduction strategies.

Seismic Vulnerability Evaluation of Existing Structures Using the Rapid Visual Screening Method in Malang City

Indonesia is characterized by its volcanic mountain ranges and bordered by several tectonic plates. This geographical setup makes Indonesia susceptible to both tectonic and volcanic earthquakes. The Indonesian National Standardization Body issued the latest earthquake regulations in 2019, leading to changes in the seismic hazard values used as reference in seismic design. As a result of these regulation changes, seismic load designs have been updated. While these regulations are applicable to the planning of new buildings, it’s equally important to assess existing structures to determine if they can withstand the updated seismic loads. This research focuses on evaluating the vulnerability of older buildings constructed before the implementation of the new earthquake regulations. The assessment method employed is Rapid Visual Screening (RVS). This study was conducted in Malang City, as it falls within an area of moderate to high seismicity. After conducting the RVS method, a numerical analysis was performed on a sample of buildings for comparison. The research findings indicate that the examined buildings are still capable of withstanding the updated seismic loads.

Development in Fuzzy Logic-Based Rapid Visual Screening Method for Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Buildings

In order to prevent possible loss of life and property, existing building stocks need to be assessed before an impending earthquake. Beyond the examination of large building stocks, rapid evaluation methods are required because the evaluation of even one building utilizing detailed vulnerability assessment methods is computationally expensive. Rapid visual screening (RVS) methods are used to screen and classify existing buildings in large building stocks in earthquake-prone zones prior to or after a catastrophic earthquake. Buildings are assessed using RVS procedures that take into consideration the distinctive features (such as irregularity, construction year, construction quality, and soil type) of each building, which each need to be considered separately. Substantially, studies have been presented to enhance conventional RVS methods in terms of truly identifying building safety levels by using computer algorithms (such as machine learning, fuzzy logic, and neural networks). This study outlines the background research that was conducted in order to establish the parameters for the development of a fuzzy logic-based soft rapid visual screening (S-RVS) method as an alternative to conventional RVS methods. In this investigation, rules, membership functions, transformation values, and defuzzification procedures were established by examining the data of 40 unreinforced masonries (URM) buildings acquired as a consequence of the 2019 Albania earthquake in order to construct a fuzzy logic-based S-RVS method.

Development of a Fuzzy Inference System Based Rapid Visual Screening Method for Seismic Assessment of Buildings Presented on a Case Study of URM Buildings

Many conventional rapid visual screening (RVS) methods for the seismic assessment of existing structures have been designed over the past three decades, tailored to site-specific building features. The objective of implementing RVS is to identify the buildings most susceptible to earthquake-induced damage. RVS methods are utilized to classify buildings according to their risk level to prioritize the buildings at high seismic risk. The conventional RVS methods are employed to determine the damage after an earthquake or to make safety assessments in order to predict the damage that may occur in a building before an impending earthquake. Due to the subjectivity of the screener based on visual examination, previous research has shown that these conventional methods can lead to vagueness and uncertainty. Additionally, because RVS methods were found to be conservative and to be partially accurate, as well as the fact that some expert opinion based developed RVS techniques do not have the capability of further enhancement, it was recommended that RVS methods be developed. Therefore, this paper discusses a fuzzy logic based RVS method development to produce an accurate building features responsive examination method for unreinforced masonry (URM) structures, as well as a way of revising existing RVS methods. In this context, RVS parameters are used in a fuzzy-inference system hierarchical computational pattern to develop the RVS method. The fuzzy inference system based RVS method was developed considering post-earthquake building screening data of 40 URM structures located in Albania following the earthquake in 2019 as a case study. In addition, FEMA P-154, a conventional RVS method, was employed to screen considered buildings to comparatively demonstrate the efficiency of the developed RVS method in this study. The findings of the study revealed that the proposed method with an accuracy of 67.5% strongly outperformed the conventional RVS method by 42.5%.

An improved rapid visual screening method for seismic vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete buildings in Indian Himalayan region

An improved rapid visual screening method for seismic vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete buildings in Indian Himalayan region

Seismic vulnerability assessment of old churches in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack using the macroelemental approach

Historic buildings are the cultural and traditional identity of a country. However, these buildings are vulnerable to earthquakes because of their aged structure, poor maintenance, and inadequate structural health monitoring. Therefore, seismic vulnerability assessment is a critical aspect in the restoration and retrofitting of heritage buildings. In this study, a comprehensive survey was performed to collect the data of old and historic church buildings in and around the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in Odisha for evaluating the performance of these structures against seismic activity. The macroelemental method for seismic vulnerability assessment was used to calculate the seismic vulnerability index of church buildings. The probable damage was estimated based on the obtained values of the mean damage grade according to the EMS-98 scale and were compared with the grade of damageability acquired using the rapid visual screening method for Indian conditions. Damage probability matrices were constructed to determine the probabilistic future damage. This study identified church buildings that require immediate renovation and retrofitting.

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Buildings for Seismic Retrofitting Strategies: Rapid Visual Screening Method

The objective of this study is to provide the assessment of the seismic vulnerability of R.C.C. and Load bearing structures by the Rapid Visual Screening Method. As Rapid Visual Screening is a preliminary stage to conducting a Simplified Vulnerability Assessment of the building.The rapid visual screening procedure requires only a visual evaluation and a few additional details. These procedures are recommended for all buildings. Rapid Visual Screening score has been evaluated for the various building which suggests further assessment for Seismic Vulnerability. India is expected to be the most populous country in the world by 2025. India has a huge volume of building stocks at present, and most of them are significantly vulnerable to earthquake hazards. In order to overcome this issue, firstly it is required to conduct the seismic vulnerability assessment at a massive scale of building stocks and buildings with a high probability of damage further evaluated with the simplified vulnerability assessment method procedures. After a detailed evaluation, it recommends a suitable retrofitting strategy. In this paper, we have studied various parameters of the Rapid Visual Screening method and the procedure to conduct it. Keywords: Seismic vulnerability, Existing Building, Simplified Vulnerability Assessment, Method, Rapid Visual Screening, Detailed vulnerability assessment.

Large-scale seismic assessment of RC buildings through rapid visual screening

Rapid urban growth, particularly in developing countries, is often accompanied by unplanned and highly vulnerable settlements which could lead to high seismic risk. This problem becomes even more pronounced when such developing countries are located in seismic prone regions, which, without a well-enforced seismic code, face high probability of major human and economic losses following a seismic event. With this in mind, large-scale rapid visual screening (RVS) procedures to perform seismic vulnerability assessment are of paramount importance to, at least, obtain a preliminary estimate of the risk to which buildings of a certain region are exposed to. RVS methods generally provide a seismic risk index based on the site hazard, the structural vulnerability and the exposure. This paper presents one of many available RVS procedures, applied and assessed for large-scale seismic vulnerability mapping of a case-study province in Northern Algeria. Based on data collected during ad-hoc field surveys, the index-based selected RVS methodology was adapted to the reinforced concrete (RC) portion of the building portfolio, featuring over 2900 buildings, to estimate its seismic vulnerability. Taking advantage of a large amount of available data, a parametric study was then performed to understand the effect of the individual variables used in the RVS method on the vulnerability indices of the different buildings. The consistency of the method, as evidenced by the results found across different building stock typologies, was also investigated to confirm the soundness of RVS approaches in large-scale assessments. Furthermore, in specific for the case-study region, the outcome of this study is extremely useful for preliminary identification of buildings (or building classes) more prone to earthquake damage and to assist decision-makers in planning seismic risk reduction strategies.

Conventional RVS Methods for Seismic Risk Assessment for Estimating the Current Situation of Existing Buildings: A State-of-the-Art Review

Developments in the field of earthquake engineering over the past few decades have contributed to the development of new methods for evaluating the risk levels in buildings. These research methods are rapid visual screening (RVS), seismic risk indexes, and vulnerability assessments, which have been developed to assess the levels of damage in a building or its structural components. RVS methods have been proposed for the rapid pre- and/or post-earthquake screening of existing large building stock in earthquake-prone areas on the basis of sidewalk surveys. The site seismicity, the soil type, the building type, and the corresponding building characteristic features are to be separately examined, and the vulnerability level of each building can be identified by employing the RVS methods. This study describes, evaluates, and compares the findings of previous investigations that utilized conventional RVS methods within a framework. It also suggests the methods to be used for specific goals and proposes prospective enhancement strategies. Furthermore, the article discusses the time-consuming RVS methods (such as FEMA 154, which requires from 15 to 30 min, while NRCC requires one hour), and provides an overview of the application areas of the methods (pre-earthquake: FEMA 154, NRCC, NZEE, etc.; postearthquake: GNDT, EMS, etc.). This review of the traditional RVS methods offers a comprehensive guide and reference for field practitioners (e.g., engineers, architects), and recommends enhancement techniques (e.g., machine learning, fuzzy logic) for researchers to be used in future improvements.

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Existing Buildings by Rapid Visual Screening Method: A Study on Ward 27 in Dhaka South City Corporation

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Existing Buildings by Rapid Visual Screening Method: A Study on Ward 27 in Dhaka South City Corporation