Imaging-to-Simulation Framework for Improving Disaster Preparedness of Construction Projects and Neighboring Communities

Unstructured construction sites including incomplete structures and unsecured resources (e.g., materials, equipment, and temporary facilities) are among the most vulnerable environments to windstorms such as hurricanes. Wind-induced cascading damages cause substantial losses, disruption, and considerable schedule delays in construction projects. Moreover, this would negatively affect neighboring buildings and interdependent infrastructures (e.g., electric power transmission or transportation systems), which triggers serious economic losses in our community. Nonetheless, prior works on disaster management mainly focused on post-disaster assessment and reconstruction process of built environments, and thus predicting potential risks associated with expected disasters for proactive preparedness remain largely unknown. This paper presents a new Imaging-to-Simulation framework that can uncover potential risks of wind-induced cascading damages to construction projects and their negative impacts on neighboring communities. The outcomes are expected to benefit our society as it will enhance current windstorm preparedness and mitigation plans, which ultimately promote public safety, property loss reduction, insurance cost reduction, and raise awareness of 'Culture of Preparedness' for disasters.