Seismic loss estimation tool as rapid survey for prioritizing buildings for disaster preparedness: case study to hospital buildings

Hospital buildings must be fully operational after the earthquake to protect the lives of patients as well as to provide emergency care and medical treatment to the victims. Prioritization and justification of founding of such hospital buildings is an effective step under earthquake disaster preparedness. In this work, a seismic loss estimation tool (SRAI.SA) is used considering hazard on regional ground motion attenuation relation at micro-seismic level. The proposed tool is used to prioritize different hospital buildings of a metropolitan city of India during walk down survey. Rapid visual screening given by FEMA and structural vulnerability index by NORSAR questionnaires are also used for prioritization based on scoring during same walk down survey. It is found that prioritization graphs by all the three methods are almost at parity. Since rapid visual screening and structural vulnerability index methods are qualitative method and need experience and judgment of the expert, the loss estimation tool ensures effective tools for prioritizing buildings through which decision makers can be guided in prioritizing buildings and identifying buildings that require immediate attention for detailed investigation.