Disaster Advances

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Disaster Advances





Study on effective rainfall area-Pre-warning model of slope disaster in Hunan province

Zhang Yonghui1*, Wu Kai2, Sheng Qian1 and Li Hongxu1

In recent years, with the rapid development of highway construction in china, slope disasters are becoming more and more frequent. According to statistics, about 90% slope disasters are induced by rainfall especially torrential rain or continuous rain. In this paper, based on the statistic analysis of slope geological disasters since 2000 in Hunan province, the relationship of rainfall characters and slope disasters has been discussed. Further more, numerical simulation method based on saturated unsaturated seepage flow theory is used to study the influence of rainfall intensity rainfall duration and rainfall type to slope stability and the traditional effective rainfall model is advanced. By combining the advanced effective rainfall model with the statistic data of slope disasters in Hunan, the effective rainfall area pre-warning values for slope disaster in Hunan province are suggested as: 0-30mm is for no risk, 30-63mm is for low risk, 63-95mm is for middle risk, 95-133mm is for high risk and more than 133mm is for large risk.

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Developing a seismic site classification map of Korea using geologic and topographic maps

Su Young Kang and Kwang-Hee Kim *

The aim of this study was to develop a proxy for the calculation of seismic wave site amplifications and response spectral shape, as a part of our work to implement a nationwide system of earthquake loss estimation for Korea. Although direct measurements are desirable for constructing a site-amplification map, such data are expensive and time consuming to collect. Thus we derived a site classification map of the southern Korean Peninsula using geologic and geomorphologic data, which are readily available for the entire area. Class B sites (mainly rock) are predominant in the study area, although localized areas of softer soils are found along major rivers and seashores. Independent Tg-based site classifications for 172 borehole sites have been performed for comparison with the site classification map of the study. The excellent correspondence of our site classification and the Tg-based site classification, as high as 87%, confirmed that our map effectively represents the local behavior of site amplification during an earthquake. These results provide important information for improving loss estimation, not only due to earthquakes, but also due to flood, drought, landslide and other natural disasters.

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Integrating Risk and Sustainability: A holistic and integrated Framework for Optimizing the Risk Decision and Expertise Rad (ORDER)

Reniers Genserik

All different types of risks, whether small or large, positive or negative etc. should be identified and handled according to best available information, practices and methods and expertise. To this end, a high level viewpoint is needed: the interconnectedness between risks, long term uncertainties, human perceptions and decision-making etc. are all important features that need to be taken into account if an organization wants to take an optimal risk decision. This paper presents a holistic and integrated framework, called ORDER to fulfill this need.

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An evacuation system for extraordinary Indoor Air Pollution Disaster Circumstances

Karas Ismail Rakip1*, Batuk Fatmagul and Abdul-Rahman Alias

The problem of evacuating the buildings through the shortest path with safety has become more important than ever in a case of indoor air pollution incidents (i.e. fire, gas leak, airlessness, smother) taken place in complex and tall buildings of today’s world. In this paper, it is aimed to present a 3D interactive human navigation and evacuation system which generates an optimum path in 3D modeled buildings and provides 3D visualization and simulation. The system generates and transmits the guiding expression to the mobile devices such as PDA’s, laptops etc. via internet. In order to evaluate its performance in a case of extraordinary indoor air pollution circumstance, the system was tested on a complex building model by using GPRS and WIFI internet connections based on the web technologies

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Model Test on Deformation and Failure of Excavated Anti-dip Slope under Seismic Loading

Fayou A.,1* Kong Jiming 2 and Ni Zhenqiang 2

In the disaster areas of Wenchuan Earthquake, anti-dip slope is a kind of slope with less development of earthquake-induced mountain disasters, but the excavation often exacerbates the earthquake-induced mountain disasters on slopes. According to the survey, deformation and failure of anti-dip slope is characterized by both collapse and slide. In order to reproduce the deformation and failure process of slope, the deformation and failure laws of slope under seismic loading were analyzed. The slope, where Wangjiaping landslide was located in Longmenshan Town, Pengzhou City, was selected as a typical example of anti-dip slope with excavation failure in this study and indoor physical model tests were carried out on deformation and failure under seismic loading. The results showed that the deformation and failure of slope under seismic loading were exacerbated by excavation. As viewed from failure mode, the deformation and failure of anti-dip slope were characterized by both collapse and slide, consistent with the results of field surveys. The entire process of deformation and failure could be divided into the following phases: the initial stage of earthquake (a gradual connecting process between superficial overburden and bedrock interface), superficial collapse stage on the top of excavated slope, toppling stage of strata with excavation failure and impact fragmentation-slide stage.

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Introducing a temporal component in spatial vulnerability analysis

Aubrecht C.1*, Freire S.2, Neuhold C.3, Curtis A.4 and Steinnocher K.1

This paper focuses on temporal aspects of disaster risk management including mapping short-term and long-term variability in spatio-temporal vulnerability patterns. Various concepts considering the temporal component of vulnerability are illustrated on the basis of case study applications including modeling population exposure to earthquake hazard in the daily cycle (nighttime vs. daytime) and analyzing land use change induced long-term variation in social vulnerability with regard to riverine flood risk. The concept of vulnerability itself introduces a significant temporal aspect into integrated disaster management. Disparities in the socio-economic structure of a society shape social vulnerability and coping capacity of local comm.¬unities and result in uneven impact of a catastrophic event. Particular aspects of social vulnerability such as varying patterns of health vulnerability, result in spatial variation in the speed of recovery with the most socially vulnerable being the slowest.

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Application of fire risk assessment system to verify on real fire case for factory buildings

Chi Jen-Hao * and Wu Sheng-Hung

For fire loss prevention, many factories’ proprietors have recently realized the importance of fire risk assessment. This study introduced the Allianz Insurance Company (ARC) fire risk assessment system and collected fire related data for factory buildings located in Taiwan. The amount of fire loss and the degree of fire loss are verified on the 32 real fire cases by their results of the fire risk assessment. Results revealed that providing proprietors and insurance companies with detailed fire risk analysis, the results could manage the budget, improve the factories fire safety grading and encore fire safety strategy to reduce fire risk level and subsequent damage.

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Information management of the Fukushima reactor accident in Austria

Steinhauser Georg *, Villa Mario, Bernt Nico, Böck Helmuth, Chudy Michal, Gerstmayr Michael, Handsteiner Johannes, Hainz Dieter, Hajek Michael, Kulenkampff Tobias, Langegger Rupert, Merz Stefan, Mischitz Robert, Musilek A., Radde Eileen, Rauch Helmut, Salletmaier M., Srajer Johannes , Sterba Johannes H., Stettner C. and Veit Monika

The Fukushima Reactor Accident proved to be not only a challenge for Japanese nuclear engineers but also for nuclear scientists around the globe when dealing with the pressure of the media for new and reliable information. The lack of information – probably a result of the destroyed infrastructure due to the earthquake and the tsunami – was the greatest problem the nuclear scientists from the Atominstitut in Austria had to deal with. Further, due to the often uninterrupted series of interviews, it turned out to be problematic to keep ourselves up to date with the recent development in Japan. We could solve this pro¬blem by dividing the available human resources into an “information gathering division” and an “inf¬or¬mation distribution division”. The process of gath¬eri¬ng, cross checking and evaluating the income¬ing news was performed in Atominstitut’s information center. This internal institution was formed spontaneously by a set of five to ten experienced, advanced and graduate students who voluntarily provided reliable information to the scientific staff which then could be communicated to the media, the public and the authorities. We found that the availability of competent student volunteers was the only way to deal with the enormous public demand for reliable information. Further, thanks to the availability of the TRIGA Mark II reactor as a research tool, the Atominstitut condenses much of the nuclear expertise in Austria. These facts set our university in a privileged situation compared to other institutions which also searched for information. Since the Vienna University of Technology regards itself as an unbiased partner of the population, this was the only way to provide factual and unemotional information. The public feedback to this approach was overwhelmingly positive.

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