Clearinghouse-type system and database for post‑seismic buildings assessment

Abstract

The paper presents the outline and function of a system for field assessment and the structure of a database for post-earthquake inspections, to be used with the Romanian Methodology for rapid buildings assessment, indicative ME003/2007, and for other research purposes. Functioning mode of the system for assessment in emergencies caused by earthquakes and the structure of the data collected by the field teams that participated in post-earthquake inspection are presented in this paper. A system for interdisciplinary assessment was taken into account for strong Vrancea intermediate earthquakes, but it will be useful also for crustal earthquakes of local or regional extent. The proposed system envisages a coordination centre and a clearinghouse at Bucharest, in NIRD “URBAN-INCERC” that coordinates branches of the territory (Iaşi, Timişoara and Cluj Napoca). Given the large area affected by Vrancea earthquakes, the system will pursue the establishment of regional centers also in the cities of Braşov and Constanţa, where there are universities in the field. To demonstrate the relevance of the system, the paper presents a case study of two buildings located in Bucharest downtown. By exploiting a software application created at INCERC Bucharest Branch, numerical values and charts can be obtained for all buildings investigated by the INCERC inspectors.

Keywords

• interdisciplinary assessment
• post-earthquake coordination centre
• clearinghouse