Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Existing Buildings by Rapid Visual Screening Method: A Study on Ward 27 in Dhaka South City Corporation

Abstract

With the rapid growth of urbanization, the possibility of hazard has increased. Owing to high population concentrations and economic activities, the likelihood of hazards in urban areas is more nuanced than in rural areas. Vulnerability assessment of hazards has been a hot topic in the field of Engineering and Urban and Regional Planning. Due to the complicated hazard characteristics, not only engineering but planning approaches are required in order to effectively mitigate hazards.In recent years, the rapid growth of Dhaka cities has accelerated the pressure on existing buildings, and there is a need to establish adequate seismic safety screening methods for existing buildings specific to building typologies. Dhaka City is in danger of an earthquake and several incidents have occurred. In most situations, the lack of appropriate precautionary steps, administrative inefficiency, inadequate funds for equipment and lack of public knowledge make the situation worse. Ward 27, an old part of Dhaka City, was chosen for seismic vulnerability assessment in this survey. For seismic vulnerability assessment, a sample of 300 buildings was evaluated using Rapid visual screening (RVS) process by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The rapid visual screening process is the initial stage in the assessment of existing buildings. The survey focuses on earthquake issues such as building type, size and shape of the plot, specific distances from surrounding structures, road width and basic building information.The use of Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) in the field of research allows screened buildings to be divided into two categories: those that are expected to have sufficient seismic efficiency and those that could be seismically unsafe and that should be further studied.

 Keywords: Earthquake; Seismic Vulnerability; Rapid Visual Screening; Dhaka City.