Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Model for Seismic Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) of Urban Residential Buildings

Abstract

Earthquakes are among the most catastrophic natural geo-hazards worldwide and endanger numerous lives annually. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate seismic vulnerability beforehand to decrease future fatalities. The aim of this research is to assess the seismic vulnerability of residential houses in an urban region on the basis of the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model, including the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and geographical information system (GIS). Tabriz city located adjacent to the North Tabriz Fault (NTF) in North-West Iran was selected as a case study. The NTF is one of the major seismogenic faults in the north-western part of Iran. First, several parameters such as distance to fault, percent of slope, and geology layers were used to develop a geotechnical map. In addition, the structural construction materials, building materials, size of building blocks, quality of buildings and buildings-floors were used as key factors impacting on the building’s structural vulnerability in residential areas. Subsequently, the AHP technique was adopted to measure the priority ranking, criteria weight (layers), and alternatives (classes) of every criterion through pair-wise comparison at all levels. Lastly, the layers of geotechnical and spatial structures were superimposed to design the seismic vulnerability map of buildings in the residential area of Tabriz city. The results showed that South and Southeast areas of Tabriz city exhibit low to moderate vulnerability, while some regions of the north-eastern area are under severe vulnerability conditions. In conclusion, the suggested approach offers a practical and effective evaluation of Seismic Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) and provides valuable information that could assist urban planners during mitigation and preparatory phases of less examined areas in many other regions around the world.

Flood Susceptibility Mapping Using GIS-Based Analytic Network Process: A Case Study of Perlis, Malaysia

“…It comprises six major steps: problem definition; decomposing the problem into a hierarchy; carrying out pair-wise comparison; calculating the maximum eigenvalues and eigenvectors; calculating the consistency ratio to check the consistency of the matrix; and aggregating the relative important weights of a decision to arrive at the final weighting for decision alternatives [40]. Indeed, AHP has been recognized among researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers for its application in assessing various geo-hazards problems including flood and landslide susceptibility [41], slope failure [42], groundwater vulnerability [43], and urban seismic vulnerability [44]. However, some inconsistencies were pinpointed especially during the early and middle period of its discovery.…”

Earthquake Vulnerability Mapping Using Different Hybrid Models

“…Distance from the fault; the faults are one of the objective forms of tectonic factors whose presence or absence can be examined in relation to the seismic hazard of different areas. Fault distance plays a key role in resilience to earthquake hazards, as proximity to it causes high seismic risk and damage, and distance from it will reduce the risk and consequently higher resilience [42]. Population density; increasing population growth, population density, and poor distribution of services and infrastructure pose risks to society [43].…”

“…The earthquake hazard coefficient in urban Distance from the fault; the faults are one of the objective forms of tectonic factors whose presence or absence can be examined in relation to the seismic hazard of different areas. Fault distance plays a key role in resilience to earthquake hazards, as proximity to it causes high seismic risk and damage, and distance from it will reduce the risk and consequently higher resilience [42].…”

“…Degradation in terrain with steep topography, especially at the top of hills and peaks, is greatly enhanced. According to construction standards, a slope of 5 to 9 percent is suitable for urbanization [42].…”

“…Children do not tolerate disruption well and older people are psychologically fragile because of their disrupted life rhythms. Elderly, in addition to the specific problems of old age, are exposed to social traits such as social incompatibility, social isolation, rejection, and lack of social support [42].…”