Design and Implementation of a Mobile-app Prototype for Assessment of Earthquake Shaking and Seismic Vulnerability of Buildings

After an earthquake, people are seeking for useful information about the mainshock and its possible aftershocks, and the vulnerability of their buildings to any future shakings. Actually, safety assessment of buildings after an earthquake is very costly and time-consuming, and lack of an interactive system between public and authorities for post-earthquake crisis management, especially in metropolitans, is a major challenge. Due to the widespread use of mobile-apps, information such as felt intensity of earthquakes and general structural status of buildings, as well as necessary trainings might be exchanged on an interactive cybernetic system. The purpose of this study is to design and implement a prototype software for earthquake intensity assessment and to give an overall rough estimation of seismic vulnerability of buildings by using a rapid damage estimation method. In this research, following a systematic method for software design, system users and their requirements, and possible solutions are identified, and a prototype system is implemented. The presented software is capable of interacting with public to receive earthquake intensity estimates and building information, as well as reporting building vulnerabilities, and may contribute volunteers to register aftershocks. Using data received from the users, the system can provide a nearly complete database for urban vulnerability, as well as real-time interactive DYFI (Did You Feel It?), shake and damage maps, which may efficiently be used for earthquake crisis management and securing urban regions for hazardous future earthquakes.