EVALUATING DISASTER MITIGATIONS: METHODOLOGY FOR URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS

This paper develops a methodology for evaluating the benefits and costs of disaster mitigation measures for urban infrastructure systems. The methodology is distinguished in three respects: first, it demonstrates how life cycle cost analysis, a method often used in infrastructure management, can be extended and applied to the disaster context. Second, it demonstrates the importance of considering changes over time, including infrastructure deterioration, future maintenance costs, and urban growth. Finally, it emphasizes evaluating societal impacts. This is particularly important for lifeline infrastructure systems, where the benefits of mitigation investments accrue broadly to users or society as a whole. The methodology is applied to a case study of seismic risk for the Portland, Oregon water delivery system. Societal losses from earthquake are found to outweigh utility agency losses by 100 times. Two mitigation alternatives are compared with the option of no mitigation. In one case, a mitigation that is not cost-effective for the utility agency is shown to be very cost-effective from a societal standpoint. Further data and research needs are also identified.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/15276988
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  1801 Alexander Bell Drive
  Reston, VA  United States  20191-4400
• Authors:
  • Chang, S E
• Publication Date: 2003-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 186-196
• Serial:
  • Natural Hazards Review
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 1527-6988
  • EISSN: 1527-6996
  • Serial URL: http://ascelibrary.org/journal/nhrefo

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Case studies; Cost effectiveness; Costs; Deterioration; Disaster preparedness; Disasters; Earthquakes; Infrastructure; Life cycle costing; Maintenance; Methodology; Risk analysis; Social impacts; Urban areas; Urban growth; Water supply and distribution structures
• Geographic Terms: Portland (Oregon)
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pipelines; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00964761
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 31 2003 12:00AM