Optimal decision-making for tall buildings in the aftershock environment

• Published in: Automation in construction 2021-02, Vol.122, p.103472, Article 103472
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yu, Burton, Henry V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aftershock seismic risk; Aftershocks; Algorithms; Concrete construction; Decision making; Disruption; Dynamic programming; Earthquake damage; Evacuation; Markov process; Markov processes; Occupancy; Optimization; Post-earthquake decision-support; Reinforced concrete; Repair; Seismic hazard; Tall buildings
• ISSN: 0926-5805; 1872-7891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103472

Aftershocks can exacerbate the financial losses and functionality disruption to buildings damaged by a preceding mainshock event. A framework is presented for determining the optimal set and timing of activities that are performed on an earthquake-damaged tall building in the aftershock environment. The optimization objective is to minimize the cumulative aftershock loss while considering the necessary safety precautions. To this end, the Markov Process and Dynamic Programming methodology are implemented. The specific post-mainshock actions that are considered include whether to evacuate the building, when to reoccupy the building if it was previously evacuated, whether to repair the building and if so, when to start and stop the repairs. The results for a 42-story reinforced concrete building show that the algorithm is able to balance the need for evacuation during the period of high aftershock seismic hazard with a timely resumption of occupancy and necessary repair activities to minimize functional disruption. •A framework for optimal decision-making for earthquake-damaged tall buildings in the aftershock environment is presented.•The Markov Process for mainshock-aftershock risk-based assessment is integrated with Dynamic Programming (DP).•The optimization seeks to minimize the cumulative aftershock loss while ensuring repair-worker and occupant safety.•The DP balances the tradeoff between repair-worker and occupant safety and the disruption cost of the evacuated building.•When the decision is made to repair the damaged building, the optimal time to start and stop the repairs is assessed.