Interior models of earthquake damaged buildings for search and rescue. Issue 1 (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bloch, Tanya; Sacks, Rafael; Rabinovitch, Oded
• Is Part Of: Advanced engineering informatics. Volume 30:Issue 1(2016:Jan.)
• Page Start: 65
• Page End: 76
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: Building Information Modeling -- Collapse -- Disasters -- Earthquakes; Computer-aided engineering -- Periodicals; Engineering -- Data processing -- Periodicals; 620.00285
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aei.2015.12.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1474-0346

Abstract

Highlights: Search and rescue (SAR) operations in buildings after an earthquake must be quick. A novel computational approach provides a building information model to aid SAR teams. Many collapse candidate models are generated before the quake from an as-built BIM. The 'best-fit' model is matched after the quake using terrestrial laser scanning. Feasibility has been demonstrated using Modal Assurance Criteria (MAC) algorithms. Abstract: Survivors trapped in void spaces formed when buildings collapse in an earthquake may be saved if search and rescue (SAR) operations are quick. A novel computational approach aims to provide building information that can guide SAR teams, thus minimizing their risk and accelerating operations. The inputs are an 'as-built' BIM model of the building before an earthquake and a partial 'as-damaged' BIM model of the exterior components after the earthquake derived from a terrestrial laser scan. A large set of possible collapse patterns is generated before the earthquake. After the event, the pattern with geometry most similar to that of the 'as-damaged' exterior BIM can be selected rapidly. This paper details the selection methods, which use least sum of point distances and Modal Assurance Criteria (MAC) algorithms, and illustrates their operation on a series of simulated computer models of collapsed structures, thus demonstrating the potential feasibility of the proposed approach.