Evaluation of Building Vulnerability to Earthquake Using Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) Method

Indonesia is one of the countries prone to earthquakes. One of the earthquake disasters that occurred several years ago hit Palu and Donggala on September 28, 2018. It caused severe damage to infrastructure. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate buildings vulnerable to earthquakes as a form of prevention. One of the buildings in Jember, the dr. Soebandi hospital, experienced cracks in the walls during an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale in Nusa Dua Bali on July 16, 2019. This study carried out the risk assessment of the vulnerability of buildings to earthquakes using the Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) method from FEMA P-154. RVS is a method to identify a building that is potentially vulnerable to earthquake hazards based on visual observations from the exterior and interior of the building. The results of the evaluation using the RVS method showed that the dr. Soebandi hospital is categorized as safe and not prone to earthquakes, with a potential vulnerability percentage of 0.0126%. Based on these results, the building does not require special treatment to anticipate earthquakes; however, maintaining the occupants' safety and extending the building's life requires routine maintenance.

An Indicator-Based Approach for Micro-Scale Assessment of Physical Flood Vulnerability of Individual Buildings

The current trends of floods event in many countries are alarming. Hence, managing flood and the associated risk are crucial in order to reduce the loss and to be well prepared for the combined impact of urbanization and climate changes. The best approach to manage flood activities is a risk-based approach, where the vulnerability of elements at risk is reduced to a minimum. There is a significant number of studies that use an indicator-based approach for flood vulnerability assessment with focus on the macro-scale. However, this paper assesses physical flood vulnerability of buildings at micro-scale using an indicator-based method in Kota Bharu, Malaysia. The region is one of the most flood affected regions in Malaysia. Micro-scale vulnerability assessment considers damages for individual buildings at risk, rather than in aggraded manner. In this study, the methodology adopted involve the use of 1D-2D SOBEK flood modelling, the selection and weightage of indicators, development of spatial based building index and, production of building vulnerability maps. The findings demonstrate the physical pattern of flood vulnerability of buildings at a micro-scale. The approach can assist in flood management planning and risk mitigation at a local scale

Vulnerability of buildings to wildfire

<p>Recent events worldwide have clearly shown that wildfires pose a serious threat to people and buildings located in the WUI (Wildland-Urban-Interface). In Europe, due to climate change, wildfires are expected to continue affecting areas not only in the Mediterranean but also in other European regions (e.g. alpine and Scandinavian context).  A wide range of tools is available for the assessment of physical vulnerability of buildings to different hazard types including floods, landslides and earthquakes. Yet, to date, vulnerability of buildings to wildfire still remains under-researched. Research gaps in this respect are pointed out in this study and a well-established approach for vulnerability assessment of buildings already used for tsunamis and dynamic flooding is adapted in order to be used for wildfires. The method is based on the development of a vulnerability index using building characteristics (indicators) that contribute to wildfire vulnerability, including construction material, surroundings, building design and surrounding vegetation. The index may be used as a basis for strategies for vulnerability reduction (reinforcement of buildings, building codes), evacuation planning, insurance purposes and resilient reconstruction of affected areas. Preliminary results of an application in Mati (Attica, Greece) based on the data of a wildfire occurred in July 2018 resulting in the death of more than 100 people are presented</p>