Integrated system for earthquake impact assessment

NEES Integrated Seismic Risk Assessment Framework (NISRAF) integrates several components in order to obtain the most reliable earthquake impact assessment results: hybrid simulation with free-field and structural sensor measurements, hazard characterization, system identification-based model updating technology, hybrid fragility analysis, and impact assessment tool. Software has been built and verified, concurrently, via applications to an actual test bed in California. Regional impact assessment results of the Los Angeles area under the 1994 Northridge earthquake, using the generated hazard map and fragility curves, showed reasonable accurate, although conservative. Also, the implemented uncertainty quantification analysis aids decision-makers to judge the estimated losses easily and quickly, which will contribute to the development of more suitable and more confident recovery plans and emergency responses. The novelty of the proposed system derives primarily from the integration of components of earthquake impact assessment-most of which have not been deployed in such an application before. To achieve seamless integration and to arrive at an operational system, several components were used innovatively, tailored to perform the role required by NISRAF. The integrated system brings the advanced tools of earthquake hazard and structural reliability analyses into the context of societal requirement for accurate evaluation of the impact of earthquakes on the built environment.