A multi-objective optimization model for retrofit strategies to mitigate direct economic loss and population dislocation

Abstract

One strategy to mitigate social and economic vulnerabilities of communities to natural disasters is to enhance the current infrastructure underlying the community. Decisions regarding allocation of limited resources to improve infrastructure components are complex and involve various trade-offs. In this study, an efficient multi-objective optimization model is proposed to support decisions regarding building retrofits within a community. In particular, given a limited budget and a heterogeneous commercial and residential building stock, solutions to the proposed model allow a detailed analysis of the trade-offs between direct economic loss and the competing objective of minimizing immediate population dislocation. The developed mathematical model is informed by earthquake simulation modeling as well as population dislocation modeling from the field of social science. The model is applied to the well-developed virtual city, Centerville, designed collaboratively by a team of engineering experts, economists, and social scientists. Multiple Pareto optimal solutions are computed in the case study and a detailed analysis regarding the various decision strategies is provided.

Keywords:

• Community resilience
• multi-objective optimization
• hazard mitigation
• population dislocation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Peihui Lin at the University of Oklahoma in the Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences for her support in estimating economic loss values associated with earthquake damage to the Centerville building inventory.

Notes

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Center for Risk-Based Community Resilience Planning funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under [grant number 2014 NIST-CR-COE-01].