Life cycle cost analysis of seismic retrofit policy at the city scale
Journal
Journal of Building Engineering
Journal Volume
80
Date Issued
2023-12-01
Author(s)
Wang, Chia Hung
Abstract
Many early-developed cities are grappling with aging building environments, characterized by chronic deterioration of structures. The consequent rise in seismic risk and loss has spurred governments to promote relevant disaster mitigation plans. In the process of urban renewal or the retrofit of dilapidated buildings, it is crucial to consider economic feasibility and the impact of policies. To support decision-making, this study aims to develop a framework for evaluating different seismic reinforcement strategies at a city level using a life cycle cost-benefit analysis. The reduction of seismic loss by a certain reinforcement strategy was assessed through the capacity spectrum method, fragility curves, and probabilistic seismic hazard analysis. Construction costs and reinforcement costs were adapted from historical data. The Equivalent Uniform Annual Cost Method was also adopted to analyze the overall life cycle cost of the target buildings based on the chosen reinforcement strategy. The researchers of this study analyzed the private buildings in Taipei City, Taiwan, to demonstrate the proposed method. The priority for reinforcement was determined based on various vulnerability measures of the buildings. Six different reinforcement strategies were compared in the case study. The results revealed that the strategies that can properly exploit soft story reinforcement are more economically attractive in terms of life cycle cost. However, a decline in marginal utility was detected. The results also showed that the proposed method could provide an objective reference for determining the priority of reinforcement plans and effectively mitigate the impact of earthquakes on the community. The findings of this research can assist stakeholders in earthquake disaster preparedness and mitigation.
Subjects
Dilapidated buildings retrofit | Disaster mitigation policy | Life cycle cost analysis | Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis | Seismic reinforcement
SDGs
Type
journal article