Building damage risk assessment on mining terrains in Poland with GIS application (original) (raw)

GIS Application for the Assessment of Seismic Damage to Buildings

… and Prevention Measures in the Context of …, 2009

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) have found to be very useful in seismic hazard and risk assessment studies. GIS can be used to integrate vast amounts of data geographically, take the spatial distribution of phenomena into consideration and communicate the results graphically performing analysis of complex mathematical models. The central part of Chisinau (6.3km 2 site), capital of the Republic of Moldova, has been the case study of project aimed on the assessment of vulnerability of buildings to seismic impact. This city is exposed to Vrancea earthquakes experiencing PGA300cm/s 2 for recurrence interval T=475yr . Collection, classification and digitization into ArcView GIS format of the main characteristics of the subsoil such as mean shear wave velocity, natural period of vibration and amplification factor, compilation of database for the existing structures as well as construction of Digital Terrain Model (DTM) were performed. The final product is the GIS database and software module for purposes of evaluation of seismic damage to buildings. The incorporation of the amplification capacity of the soil through the direct utilization of the transfer function constructed on the base of geotechnical data allows fast assessment of scenario seismic events and mapping of parameters of the ground motion (PGA, EPA, etc.). Existence of moderate-magnitude and blast records for the studied site as well as databases of buildings' damages allow validation of the accepted techniques and methodologies for ground motion and damage simulations.

Example Building Damage Caused by Mining Exploitation in Disturbed Rock Mass

Studia Geotechnica et Mechanica, 2013

Issues concerning protection of buildings against the impact of underground coal mining pose significant scientific and engineering challenges. In Poland, where mining is a potent and prominent industry assuring domestic energy security, regions within reach of mining influences are plenty. Moreover, due to their industrial character they are also densely built-up areas. Because minerals have been extracted on an industrial scale in majority of those areas for many years, the rock mass structure has been significantly disturbed. Hence, exploitation of successive layers of multi-seam deposits might cause considerable damage - both in terms of surface and existing infrastructure networks. In the light of those facts, the means of mining and building prevention have to be improved on a regular basis. Moreover, they have to be underpinned by reliable analyses holistically capturing the comprehensive picture of the mining, geotechnical and constructional situation of structures. Scientif...

Development of Gis-Based Analytical Method for Predicting Mining Subsidence

2005

Surface subsidence due to underground mining is a major problem, especially when stratified deposits are completely extracted. Extensively theoretical, laboratory and in situ test investigations have been carried out in many countries to develop mining subsidence prediction techniques. However, to predict subsidence on the large extraction area, complex seam layers, time dependence and three-dimensional (3D) visualization are main difficulties encountered in solving problems. In this research, an integrated system has been developed within Geographic Information System (GIS) for predicting mining subsidence which includes various principal methods to obtain calculation of maximum subsidence, subsidence profiles, and spatial distribution of subsidence with induced large complex underground mining. A case study is presented to demonstrate the capability of the system. As the final result, it is found that the developed system is powerful and effective tool in GIS for complex mining subsidence prediction.

A GIS approach to seismic risk assessment with an application to mining-related seismicity in Johannesburg, South Africa

Acta Geophysica

The majority of seismic activity in South Africa is related to extensive mining operations, usually in close proximity to densely populated areas where a relatively weak seismic event could cause damage. Despite a significant decrease in mining operations in the Witwatersrand area, the number of seismic events appears to be increasing and is attributed to the acid mine drainage problem. The increased seismicity is raising concern amongst disaster management centres and in the insurance industry. A better understanding is required of the vulnerability and the size of the potential loss of people and infrastructure in densely populated Johannesburg and its surrounding areas. Results of a deterministic seismic risk, vulnerability and loss assessment are presented by making use of a geographic information system (GIS). The results illustrate the benefits of using GIS and contribute to a better understanding of the risk, which can assist in improving disaster preparedness.

GIS-based assessment of risk due to salt mining activities at Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Engineering Geology, 2009

Ground subsidence triggered by salt mining from deposits located beneath the city of Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina) is one of the major dangers acting on a very densely urbanized area since 1950, when the salt deposit exploitation by means of boreholes began. As demonstrated in this paper, subsidence induced several hazard factors such as severe ground deformations, the arising of deep and superficial fractures and a very fast water table rise, connected with the brine extraction, now affecting several districts. The above mentioned factors have been quantified by the use of geomatic methodologies, including field surveys and analysis of geographical data. In order to estimate the historical sinking rates, authors processed the large (and never before processed) amount of topographical data collected during two periods; from 1956 to 1991, and from 1992 to 2003, with only poor data collected. Afterward, traditional surveys were completely and definitively stopped. The analysis reveals a cumulative subsidence as high as 12 m during the whole period, causing damage to buildings and infrastructures within an area that includes a large portion of the historical town, at present almost entirely destroyed. Modern sinking rates have been monitored with static GPS whereas the presence of superficial fractures monitored with kinematic GPS. Factors related to the presence of deep fractures and water table rise have been evaluated by curvature analysis techniques and piezometric data respectively. Finally, hazard factors have been combined in a risk map using the GIS (Geographical Information System) map algebra capabilities and a simple multicriteria decision analysis (MDA). In order to do that, a vulnerability map has been derived on the basis of information reported on a couple of recently sensed high resolution satellite imageries. The final risk, arisen from the combination of single hazard factors and vulnerability map, highlights critical scenarios and unsuspected threatening that are under consideration by the local decision makers and urban planners. In particular, as highlighted in the final risk map, the present-day water table rise, triggered by the decrease in brine pumping, is seriously posing a threat to a portion of the city which is not the most involved in ground deformations.