A simplified method to assess generation of seismic debris for masonry structures

Seismic damage simulation at the regional scale provides valuable information that can facilitate decision making and disaster mitigation, reducing both human and economic losses. Building damage assessment after an earthquake event is one of the crucial activities in seismic loss estimation. The amount of generated debris and the associated effects on critical infrastructures are also essential information to evaluate. Indeed, as cascading consequence of debris accumulation, the road network can be interrupted. This entails an overall increase in the average number of people who have difficulty to evacuate, with a significant risk that some residents cannot evacuate at all. This study presents a methodology to assess the area covered by debris generated by the collapse of masonry buildings as function of the geometric characteristics of the structure. The proposed methodology allows the estimation of debris volume and can provide decision-makers with a tool to explore the community response to a disruptive event, quantifying the performance of critical infrastructure and planning better resilience strategies to minimize losses and recovery time.