Rapid visual screening vulnerability assessment method of buildings: a review

Seismic vulnerability assessment of any building is done to evaluate the expected damage from future earthquakes. The vulnerability assessment is a time-consuming procedure and difficult as well. Rapid visual screening (RVS) method is a quick and efficient process to identify and rank the buildings. This study describes and compares the outcome of previous researches on conventional RVS methods. This paper summarizes the comparative study among various RVS methods used around the world. Methods have been evolved on the basis of prevalent geographical conditions The various methods for RVS have different scoring patterns. The method differs with different parameters such as load path, no. of stories, weak stories, torsion, pounding effects etc. The comparison chart is drawn for the damageability scales of different countries. The limitations and advantages of various RVS methods have also been discussed. The review of the traditional method can help in the derivation of new techniques in the field of vulnerability study using fuzzy logic and artificial intelligence.