Disaster Risk Mitigation Through Capital Investment in Enhanced Building Resilience

Abstract

The recognition of the high costs of the vulnerabilities of cities and communities due to various types of disaster risks have helped build the business case for investments improving the quality and resilience of buildings and civil engineering works. This important issue has attracted the attention of several stakeholders, including engineering professionals from different fields, scientists, standardization bodies, investors and financial institutions, regulatory agencies, user groups of several, as well as administrative services at national and regional level. This research work discusses the application of a resilience rating system to show the impacts of capital investment in building refurbishment and renewal. It highlights aspects in building renovation programs that efficiently and quickly increase their resilience in face of extreme events. The work presented builds on previous discussions on ways to measure the resilience of built assets, namely based on a rating system composed by different dimensions, several indicators, and parameters. It covers not only the building's intrinsic qualities, but also its interdependence with the community, surroundings, and users in the post-disaster context.