Damage Assessment And Reconstruction After War Or Natural Disaster

1.1. SAFETY OF CIVIL STRUCTURES Society expects that the failure of civil structures is extremely rare and relies on the care and expertise of the professionals involved in the design, construction and maintenance of structures. This is in particular true for public technical systems such as transportation or energy supply systems and structures such as bridges. Structural safety may be defined as follows: “Adequate safety with respect to a hazard is ensured provided that the hazard is kept under control by appropriate measures or the risk is limited to an acceptable value. Absolute safety is not achievable.” It is thus not the structure as such that is designated safe but rather the people, goods and the environment in its surroundings. The continued use of existing structures is of great importance because the built environment is a huge economic and political asset, growing larger every year. Nowadays evaluation of the safety of existing structures is a major engineering task, and structural engineers are increasingly called upon to devise ways for extending the life of structures whilst observing tight cost constraints. Also, existing structures are expected to resist against accidental actions although they were not designed for. Engineers may apply specific methods for evaluation in order to preserve structures and to reduce a client’s expenditure. The ultimate goal is to limit construction intervention to a minimum, a goal that is clearly in agreement with the principles of sustainable development.

This book tackles some of the key questions in the field of Man-made and natural disasters by providing an understanding of the different phases of disaster management and planning, including emergency, preparedness, rehabilitation, mitigation and reconstruction.

This work combines research and empirical evidence on the economic costs of disasters with theoretical approaches. It provides new insights on how to assess and manage the costs and impacts of disaster prevention, mitigation, recovery and adaption, and much more.

This book is an overview of the complex and multifaceted topic of natural disasters impact. Several possible approaches can be undertaken to assess economic, psychological, societal or environmental damage caused by natural disasters, aiming to reduce the effects of future events on the whole of these sectors. This book proposes a range of studies realized in different continents, showing various aspects from which natural disasters can be view, thus giving a measure of the complexity and multidisciplinary of the topic. It starts with a paper presenting a possible strategy to either avoid or reduce the vulnerability of concrete buildings during floods. Then, it continues with an insight into the communication during post-disaster emergency phase and with two chapters concerning the assessment of two different kinds of impact on people everyday life. The book ends with an analysis of the role of stakeholder participation in post-disaster reconstruction.

Clearing landmines, rehabilitating and integrating of excombatants, rebuilding the infrastructure, coordinating aid sources—these are just some of the issues confronting the Bank in post-conflict reconstruction. The explosion of civil conflicts in the post-Cold War world has tested the World Bank's ability to address unprecedented devastation of human and social capital.This study covers post-conflict reconstruction in nine countries, assessing relevant, recent Bank experience. It also presents case-studies for ongoing and future operations, which analyze: 1. the Bank's main strengths or comparative advantages; 2. its partnership with other donors, international organizations, and NGOs; 3. its role in reconstruction strategy and damage and needs assessment; 4. its role in rebuilding the economy and institutions of governance; 5. its management of resources and processes; 6. implications for monitoring and evaluation.

This book introduces innovative and interdisciplinary applications of advanced technologies. Featuring the papers from the 10th DAYS OF BHAAAS (Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences) held in Jahorina, Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 21–24, 2018, it discusses a wide variety of engineering and scientific applications of the different techniques. Researchers from academic and industry present their work and ideas, techniques and applications in the field of power systems, mechanical engineering, computer modelling and simulations, civil engineering, robotics and biomedical engineering, information and communication technologies, computer science and applied mathematics.

As a well balanced and fully illustrated introductory text, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the physical, technological and social components of natural disaster. The main disaster-producing agents are reviewed systematically in terms of geophysical processes and effects, monitoring, mitigation and warning. The relationship between disasters and society is examined with respect to a wide variety of themes, including damage assessment and prevention, hazard mapping, emergency preparedness, the provision of shelter and the nature of reconstruction. Medical emergencies and the epidemiology of disasters are described, and refugee management and aid to the Third World are discussed. A chapter is devoted to the sociology, psychology, economics and history of disasters.; In many parts of the world the toll of death, injury, damage and deprivation caused by natural disasters is becoming increasingly serious. Major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, floods and other similar catastrophes are often followed by large relief operations characterized by substantial involvement of the international community. The years 1990-2000 have therefore been designated by the United Nations as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.; The book goes beyond mere description and elevates the field of natural catastrophes to a serious academic level. The author's insights and perspectives are also informed by his practical experience of being a disaster victim and survivor, and hence the unique perspective of a participant observer. Only by surmounting the boundaries between disciplines can natural catastrophe be understood and mitigation efforts made effective. Thus, this book is perhaps the first completely interdisciplinary, fully comprehensive survey of natural hazards and disasters. It has a clear theoretical basis and it recognizes the importance of six fundamental approaches to the field, which it blends carefully in the text in order to avoid the partiality of previous works. It covers the earth and social sciences, as well as engineering, architecture and development studies. This breadth is made possible by virtue of a strong emphasis on simple principles of the interaction of geophysical agents with human vulnerability and response.; All students of environmental sciences/studies and geography should find this book useful. It is an introductory text which treats this dramatic subject area as something demanding serious academic treatment and not just as an assemblage of horror stories.; This book is intended for undergraduate students in geography and environmental studies/sciences. The book should also appeal to any professional or researcher concerned with man- environment relations, whether in social science or natural science or engineering.

Rehabilitation of heritage monuments provides sustainable development and cultural significance to a region. The most sensitive aspect of the refurbishment of existing buildings lies in the renovation and recovery of structural integrity and public safety. The Handbook of Research on Seismic Assessment and Rehabilitation of Historic Structures evaluates developing contributions in the field of earthquake engineering with regards to the analysis and treatment of structural damage inflicted by seismic activity. This book is a vital reference source for professionals, researchers, students, and engineers active in the field of earthquake engineering who are interested in the emergent developments and research available in the preservation and rehabilitation of heritage buildings following seismic activity.