Debris flow building damage level and vulnerability curve: a case study of a 2015 typhoon event in northern Taiwan

Abstract

Physical vulnerability of the building is the key element for debris-flow hazard Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA). Most vulnerability curves were related to the deposition height (Fuchs et al., 2007; Lo et al., 2012), or the combination of deposition height, velocity, and impact force (Quan Luna et al., 2011; Jakob et al., 2012; Kang and Kim, 2016). This study uses datasets obtained from a debris-flow hazard caught on video in northern Taiwan during a 2015 Typhoon event and compare with the existing building damage classes and vulnerability curves. The deposition heights, ranging from 0.1 to 5-m, and damage levels of the 15 houses were carefully documented. Of these 15 reinforced-concrete, reinforced-brick, and brick houses, 7 were considered as totally destroyed judging by their actual damage level, others sustained various damages. The debris-flow velocity and impact force were simulated with RAMMS