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Building's Vulnerability Assessment against Natural Hazards by Using Modern Computational Techniques

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A topical collection in Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This collection belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

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Editors

Prof. Dr. Tom Lahmer

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Collection Editor

Institut für Strukturmechanik (ISM), Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, D-99423 Weimar, Germany
Interests: stochastics and optimisation; uncertainty quantification/sensitivity analysis; theory and numerical solution of inverse problems; numerical simulation

Dr. Ehsan Harirchian

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Collection Editor

Institut für Strukturmechanik (ISM), Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, D-99423 Weimar, Germany
Interests: soft computing; seismic damage and vulnerability assessment; building damage classification; data science and analysis; rapid screening methods
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Dr. Viviana Novelli

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Collection Editor

School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
Interests: structural modelling and reliability; seismic loss estimation of spatially distributed structures; multi-hazard risk assessment due to mega-thrust subduction earthquakes; seismic risk management and decision making

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent destructive events around the world have illustrated the increasing importance of research on buildings, and specifically the assessment of their vulnerability against natural hazards. For instance, the classification and assessment of existing buildings’ earthquake resistance is a vital task that must be accomplished expeditiously and in a simple, economical, and accurate way before any earthquake actually takes place.

Conducting a more detailed construction analysis and assembling comprehensive knowledge around a building’s geometry, features, and materials may lead to a very accurate non-linear seismic assessment. However, such an approach would entail unprecedented difficulties, considering that big data and an urban scale mitigation campaign exhibit a high dispersion level. Therefore, a fast and reliable method of identifying vulnerable buildings is required. Recently, numerous modern methods have been developed in soft computational techniques to deal with big data and consider non-linear relationships between parameters affecting buildings’ vulnerability against natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, etc. Modern computational techniques (e.g., artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic) have shown vital efficiency and applicability in the vulnerability assessment of buildings against natural hazards.

This collection aims to invite ingenious authors and researchers to present their work and discover applied modern computing techniques and their utilization in evaluating buildings’ natural hazard safety, including but not limited to the following subtopics:

Machine learning techniques, neural networks, and fuzzy logic
Multicriteria decision making (MCDM)
Seismic design and assessment of buildings
Deterministic and probabilistic analysis methods
Earthquake engineering
Structural engineering
Vulnerability evaluation and retrofitting
Seismic risk analysis and mitigation strategies
Natural hazard disasters
Flood vulnerability assessment and management

Prof. Dr. Tom Lahmer
Dr. Ehsan Harirchian
Dr. Viviana Novelli
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

machine learning techniques, neural networks, and fuzzy logic
multicriteria decision making (MCDM)
seismic design and assessment of buildings
deterministic and probabilistic analysis methods
earthquake engineering
structural engineering
vulnerability evaluation and retrofitting
seismic risk analysis and mitigation strategies
natural hazard disasters
flood vulnerability assessment and management

Related Special Issue

Seismic Safety Assessment and Strengthening of Existing Constructions in Buildings (13 articles)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021

20 pages, 19869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of the 2023 Pazarcık and Elbistan Earthquakes in Diyarbakır

by Ibrahim Baran Karasin

Buildings 2023, 13(10), 2474; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13102474 - 29 Sep 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 743

Abstract

Türkiye is prone to earthquakes due to its location on various tectonic plates, which can lead to a loss of lives and property. Recently, on 6 February 2023, two major earthquakes hit Pazarcık and Elbistan in Türkiye, causing widespread destruction on the East Anatolian Fault (EAF) zone. Even Diyarbakır, a distant province from the epicentre, was severely affected, highlighting the need to evaluate Turkish earthquake codes. As part of this evaluation, a structural analysis was conducted on earthquake-damaged and collapsed buildings in Diyarbakır. The study analysed three buildings with different levels of damage and six collapsed buildings as case studies. The seismic parameters of the earthquakes were compared to the values in the two recent earthquake hazard maps used in Türkiye’s codes, as well as the Eurocode 8 damage limit values obtained from pushover analysis. The results revealed significant differences between the current seismic values of earthquakes and the current peak ground acceleration (PGA) values specified in the Turkish Earthquake Design Regulations. Additionally, the selected buildings showed inadequate structural behaviours, with significant differences between the expected and actual seismic performances with respect to the PGA values as one of the most important earthquake characteristics. Full article

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19 pages, 4480 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimating the Concrete Ultimate Strength Using a Hybridized Neural Machine Learning

by Ziwei Zhang

Buildings 2023, 13(7), 1852; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071852 - 21 Jul 2023

Viewed by 760

Abstract

Concrete is a highly regarded construction material due to many advantages such as versatility, durability, fire resistance, and strength. Hence, having a prediction of the compressive strength of concrete (CSC) can be highly beneficial. The new generation of machine learning models has provided capable solutions to concrete-related simulations. This paper deals with predicting the CSC using a novel metaheuristic search scheme, namely the slime mold algorithm (SMA). The SMA retrofits an artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the CSC by incorporating the effect of mixture ingredients and curing age. The optimal configuration of the algorithm trained the ANN by taking the information of 824 specimens. The measured root mean square error (RMSE = 7.3831) and the Pearson correlation coefficient (R = 0.8937) indicated the excellent capability of the SMA in the assigned task. The same accuracy indicators (i.e., the RMSE of 8.1321 and R = 0.8902) revealed the competency of the developed SMA-ANN in predicting the CSC for 206 stranger specimens. In addition, the used method outperformed two benchmark algorithms of Henry gas solubility optimization (HGSO) and Harris hawks optimization (HHO) in both training and testing phases. The findings of this research pointed out the applicability of the SMA-ANN as a new substitute to burdensome laboratory tests for CSC estimation. Moreover, the provided solution is compared to some previous studies, and it is shown that the SMA-ANN enjoys higher accuracy. Therefore, an explicit mathematical formula is developed from this model to provide a convenient CSC predictive formula. Full article

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27 pages, 9049 KiB

Open AccessArticle

GIS-Based Risk Assessment of Structure Attributes in Flood Zones of Odiongan, Romblon, Philippines

by Jerome G. Gacu, Cris Edward F. Monjardin, Kevin Lawrence M. de Jesus and Delia B. Senoro

Buildings 2023, 13(2), 506; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020506 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4681

Abstract

Flood triggered by heavy rains and typhoons leads to extensive damage to land and structures putting rural communities in crucial condition. Most of the studies on risk assessment focus on environmental factors, and building attributes have not been given attention. The five most expensive typhoon events in the Philippines were recorded in 2008–2013, causing USD 138 million in damage costs. This indicates the lack of tool/s that would aid in the creation of appropriate mitigation measure/s and/or program/s in the country to reduce damage caused by typhoons and flooding. Hence, this study highlights a structure vulnerability assessment approach employing the combination of analytical hierarchy process, physical structure attributes, and existing flood hazard maps by the local government unit. The available flood hazard maps were layered into base maps, and building attributes were digitized using a geographic information system. The result is an essential local scale risk map indicating the building risk index correlated to the structural information of each exposed structure. It was recorded that of 3094 structures in the community, 370 or 10.25% were found to be at moderate risk, 3094 (76.79%) were found to be high risk, and 503 (12.94%) were very high risk. The local government unit can utilize the resulting maps and information to determine flood risk priority areas to plan flood mitigation management strategies and educate people to improve the structural integrity of their houses. A risk map gives people an idea of what to improve in their houses to reduce their vulnerability to natural disasters. Moreover, the result of the study provides direction for future studies in the country to reduce loss and enhance structure resiliency against flooding. Full article

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2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021

24 pages, 6734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the Earthquake Performance Adequacy of Low-Rise RC Structures Designed According to the Simplified Design Rules in TBEC-2019

by Nur Seda Yel, Musa Hakan Arslan, Ceyhun Aksoylu, İbrahim Hakkı Erkan, Hatice Derya Arslan and Ercan Işık

Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1722; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101722 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1935

Abstract

In this study, earthquake performance of the structures was tested which were modeled according to the minimum criteria of simplified analysis approach proposed in TBEC-2019. For this purpose, 144 reinforced-concrete building models were designed according to parameters such as earthquake design class, building height (number of storey), number of spans, soil type and three different simplified formulas suggested in the code. The level of structural performance of buildings models was determined by the linear (L) and nonlinear performance analysis (NL) methods that given in TBEC-2019. The base shear force, top displacements and over-strength factor (Ω) of each structural model were obtained, and performance analysis was performed by comparatively. As a result of the structural analyses, it was seen that some of the buildings model designed according to minimum column sectional criteria given in simplified methods could not meet the suggested seismic performance level. While the number of structural models that provide the controlled damage (CD) level in the L analysis method is 44 (30.55%), it is 107 (74.3%) in the NL analysis method. The insufficient performance was obtained in both L and NL methods in models which have over-strength values below 3. It has been observed that multi-criteria of building performance are not met with the weakening of local soil conditions. It was also seen that the L method chosen in the performance analysis gave more conservative results with this study. Full article

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19 pages, 13360 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis for Eastern Turkey (Bitlis) Based on Updated Hazard Map and Its Effect on Regular RC Structures

by Ercan Işık and Ehsan Harirchian

Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1573; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101573 - 30 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3790

Abstract

Determining the earthquake hazard of any settlement is one of the primary studies for reducing earthquake damage. Therefore, earthquake hazard maps used for this purpose must be renewed over time. Turkey Earthquake Hazard Map has been used instead of Turkey Earthquake Zones Map since 2019. A probabilistic seismic hazard was performed by using these last two maps and different attenuation relationships for Bitlis Province (Eastern Turkey) were located in the Lake Van Basin, which has a high seismic risk. The earthquake parameters were determined by considering all districts and neighborhoods in the province. Probabilistic seismic hazard analyses were carried out for these settlements using seismic sources and four different attenuation relationships. The obtained values are compared with the design spectrum stated in the last two earthquake maps. Significant differences exist between the design spectrum obtained according to the different exceedance probabilities. In this study, adaptive pushover analyses of sample-reinforced concrete buildings were performed using the design ground motion level. Structural analyses were carried out using three different design spectra, as given in the last two seismic design codes and the mean spectrum obtained from attenuation relationships. Different design spectra significantly change the target displacements predicted for the performance levels of the buildings. Full article

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20 pages, 4030 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Steel Stitches: An Innovative Approach for Strengthening Shear Deficiency in Undamaged Reinforced Concrete Beams

by Ceyhun Aksoylu, Yasin Onuralp Özkılıç and Musa Hakan Arslan

Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1501; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101501 - 21 Sep 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3358

Abstract

In this study, reinforced concrete beams with insufficient shear capacity were strengthened on both sides of the beam along the shear openings by a novel approach: Mechanical Steel Stitches (MSS). This innovative method facilitates the application of strengthening the beams with a low-cost solution. In this concept, six specimens were experimentally investigated under vertical load. While one of the specimens was tested as a reference, the others were strengthened with MSS application at different ratios (ρ_MS), ranging from 0.2% to 1% at both the beams’ shear span. MSS were applied with the angle of 90° considering stirrup logic. The diameter, anchorage depth and mechanical properties of the MSSs were kept constant, and their effects on the strengthening of the beams in terms of ductility, strength, stiffness, and energy dissipation capacities were investigated by changing the spacing of the MSSs. The results revealed that increasing MSS ratio caused a dramatic positive change in the behavior in terms of both strength and energy dissipation capacity. MSSs to be made at appropriate intervals ((%1) MSS ratio or (d/5) MSS spacing) significantly improved the shear capacity. However, a 43% loss in stiffness occurred with the increase in ρ_MS since the MSSs are applied to the beams by drilling and anchoring from the outside. Full article

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31 pages, 21883 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Architectural Characteristics and Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of a Historical Masonry Minaret under Different Seismic Risks and Probabilities of Exceedance

by Ercan Işık, Fatih Avcil, Ehsan Harirchian, Enes Arkan, Hüseyin Bilgin and Hayri Baytan Özmen

Buildings 2022, 12(8), 1200; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12081200 - 10 Aug 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2594

Abstract

Masonry structures began to be built with the existence of human beings and are an inspiration for today’s structures. Monumental historical buildings built according to people’s religious beliefs have special importance among such structures. Despite being exposed to many natural disasters over time, such structures that have survived till today are an indispensable part of the historical heritage. Within the scope of this study, structural analyses were carried out for the historical Ulu Mosque’s minaret in Bitlis (Turkey), located in the Van Lake basin, using both on-site measurements and finite element methods. Detailed historical and architectural features were given for the minaret and the mosque. In addition to four different earthquake ground motion levels of 2%, 10%, 50% and 68%, structural analyses were deployed separately for seven different geographical locations in the same seismic risk area. Moreover, time history analyses were conducted using the acceleration records of the Van earthquake that occurred in the region. The minaret performance levels were determined by using the displacement values obtained. The study examined the different probabilities of exceedance and the changes in the regions with the same seismic risk. As a result of each structural analysis, base shear forces, displacement, period and maximum stress values were obtained for the minaret. The displacement, base shear force, and stress values increased as the exceedance probability decreased. While the same seismic and structural analysis results were obtained for the selected settlements in the same earthquake zone in this study, remarkable differences were observed for these settlements using the geographical-location-specific design spectrum. Full article

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18 pages, 6084 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seismic Fragility Analysis of Mega-Frame with Vibration Control Substructure Based on Dual Surrogate Model and Active Learning

by Yanjie Xiao, Xun’an Zhang, Feng Yue, Muhammad Moman Shahzad, Xinwei Wang and Buqiao Fan

Buildings 2022, 12(6), 752; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12060752 - 01 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1610

Abstract

Seismic fragility analysis of a mega-frame with vibration control substructure (MFVCS) considering structural uncertainties is computationally expensive. Dual surrogate model (DSM) can be used to improve computational efficiency, whereas the proper selection of design of experiments (DoE) is a difficult work in the DSM-based seismic fragility analysis (DSM-SFA) method. To efficiently assess the seismic fragility with sufficient accuracy, this paper proposes an improved DSM-SFA method based on active learning (AL). In this method, the Kriging model is employed for surrogate modeling to obtain the predicted error of approximation. An AL sampling strategy is presented to update the DoE adaptively, and the refinement of the surrogate models can reduce the error of the probability result computed by the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. A numerical example was studied to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the improved procedure. This method was applied to the fragility analysis of an MFVCS and a mega-frame structure (MFS). The finite element models were established using OpenSeesPy and SAP2000 software, respectively, and the correctness of the MFVCS model was verified. The results show that MFVCS is less vulnerable than MFS and has better seismic performance. Full article

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23 pages, 1042 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Evaluation of Machine Learning and Web-Based Process for Damage Score Estimation of Existing Buildings

by Vandana Kumari, Ehsan Harirchian, Tom Lahmer and Shahla Rasulzade

Buildings 2022, 12(5), 578; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12050578 - 29 Apr 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2776

Abstract

The seismic vulnerability assessment of existing reinforced concrete (RC) buildings is a significant source of disaster mitigation plans and rescue services. Different countries evolved various Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) techniques and methodologies to deal with the devastating consequences of earthquakes on the structural characteristics of buildings and human casualties. Artificial intelligence (AI) methods, such as machine learning (ML) algorithm-based methods, are increasingly used in various scientific and technical applications. The investigation toward using these techniques in civil engineering applications has shown encouraging results and reduced human intervention, including uncertainties and biased judgment. In this study, several known non-parametric algorithms are investigated toward RVS using a dataset employing different earthquakes. Moreover, the methodology encourages the possibility of examining the buildings’ vulnerability based on the factors related to the buildings’ importance and exposure. In addition, a web-based application built on Django is introduced. The interface is designed with the idea to ease the seismic vulnerability investigation in real-time. The concept was validated using two case studies, and the achieved results showed the proposed approach’s potential efficiency. Full article

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22 pages, 8121 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structural Analysis of Five Historical Minarets in Bitlis (Turkey)

by Ercan Işık, Ehsan Harirchian, Enes Arkan, Fatih Avcil and Mutlu Günay

Buildings 2022, 12(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12020159 - 02 Feb 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4419

Abstract

Bitlis has hosted many civilizations and is located in Turkey’s significant strategic transit corridor. Many historical structures belong to different cultures in the city. The structural analysis of five minarets mentioned in folk songs and the brand value of Bitlis city in terms of historical buildings is the subject of this study. These minarets are precious because they witness important events in Bitlis city. Non-destructive test methods determined the material properties of the Bitlis stone used in constructing minarets. Within the scope of the study, detailed information about each minaret was given, and on-site measurements determined its dimensions and current structural conditions. For each minaret, its seismic behavior has been selected by using the vertical and horizontal design spectrum in the recent earthquake code of Turkey. Historical masonry minarets were modeled using the finite element method. In addition to stress distribution in the minarets under different loading conditions, period and displacement results are also investigated. Full article

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2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022

17 pages, 9262 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Response Spectra-Based Post-Earthquake Rapid Structural Damage Estimation Approach Aided with Remote Sensing Data: 2020 Samos Earthquake

by Onur Kaplan and Gordana Kaplan

Buildings 2022, 12(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12010014 - 26 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3181

Abstract

Effective post-event emergency management contributes substantially to communities’ earthquake resilience, and one of the most crucial actions following an earthquake is building damage assessment. On-site inspections are dangerous, expensive, and time-consuming. Remote sensing techniques have shown great potential in localizing the most damaged regions and thus guiding aid and rescue operations in recent earthquakes. Furthermore, to prevent post-earthquake casualties, heavily damaged, unsafe buildings must be identified immediately since in most earthquakes, strong aftershocks can cause such buildings to collapse. The potential of the response spectrum concept for being associated with satellite-based remote sensing data for post-earthquake structural damage estimation was investigated in this study. In this respect, a response spectra-based post-earthquake structural damage estimation method aided by satellite-based remote sensing data was proposed to classify the buildings after an earthquake by prioritizing them based on their expected damage levels, in order to speed up the damage assessment process of critical buildings that can cause casualties in a possible strong aftershock. A case study application was implemented in the Bayrakli region in Izmir, Turkey, the most affected area by the Samos earthquake, on 30 October 2020. The damage estimations made in this research were compared with the in situ damage assessment reports prepared by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Environment and Urbanization experts. According to the accuracy assessment results, the sensitivity of the method is high (91%), and the necessary time spent by the in situ damage assessment teams to detect the critical buildings would have been significantly reduced for the study area. Full article

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Building's Vulnerability Assessment against Natural Hazards by Using Modern Computational Techniques

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Published Papers (11 papers)

2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021

2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021

2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022

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