Post-earthquake seismic assessment of residential buildings following Sarpol-e Zahab (Iran) earthquake (Mw7.3) part 1: Damage types and damage states

Following a disaster, a quick and reliable evaluation of structural damage and its classification is one of the crucial steps to making decisions and disaster management. Based on a reliable evaluation of structural damage and proper classification of buildings, decisions related to structural performance (functionality), repair possibility, or in severe cases, a replacement could be made. The results of current research are obtained from a comprehensive and meticulous investigation of more than 81 damaged steel and RC buildings after the Sarpol-e Zahab (Iran) earthquake. First, a detailed explanation of various types of structural and non-structural damage to buildings is provided. Then, based on the severity, extent, and types of damage and the observed residual drift for steel structures, buildings are classified into five damage states. The damage types are the more frequently observed damage in different elements. The inherent quantitative classification of buildings into five damage states makes this approach a precise and useful tool to investigate buildings more reliably following earthquakes. Part-1 of this research (current paper) discusses various types of observed damage and the classification of buildings into damage states. In part-2 of this research (accompanying paper), a damage index is proposed based on the results of part-1 and empirical vulnerability curves for different types of damaged buildings are developed.