Disaster Reconnaissance Missions: Is a Hybrid Approach the Way Forward?

When a catastrophic natural hazard event occurs, it causes human casualties, damage to buildings and infrastructure, and affects livelihoods, society, and the wider economy. Much of the damage caused by natural disasters is visible only for a short time, because search and rescue, demolition and rebuilding often start within a few days. It is therefore important that damage assessments start rapidly after an event. For the earthquake community, the need for speedy but systematic post-earthquake investigations has led to the formation of several international earthquake reconnaissance teams whose aim is to be available for rapid deployment after an earthquake. They are composed of earthquake specialists from different disciplines, and generally include team members from the affected countries. Each team conducts a survey whose exact scope depends on the scale and type of damage. But the study generally includes investigations of the seismological and geological aspects of the event, the damage to buildings and to infrastructure, and the way in which relief and rescue have been conducted. On return, the team typically communicates their findings through technical meetings and produces a report which is commonly made available on openly accessible websites. The Learning from Earthquakes programme of the California-based Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI1) has the most experience in such field reconnaissance missions and has conducted more than 150 investigations since it began after the 1971 San Fernando, California earthquake. In the United Kingdom, the Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT2) is a joint venture between industry and universities and has conducted more than 30 investigations since its formation in 1982 following the Irpinia (Italy) earthquake of 1980. Similar organisations exist in several other countries (Spence, 2014). The cross-cultivation of these findings across different historical events have been fundamental in improving our science. The cumulative findings of the missions have been instrumental in formulating research programmes worldwide, which have studied aspects of the physical damage, response, and recovery from multiple events. These research programmes in turn have led to steady improvements of national and international codes of practice for building, as well as assisting in understanding the vulnerability of different types of affected facilities and in developing ways to enhance earthquake safety internationally (Spence and So, 2021). Disasters that occurred in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic challenged the disaster risk resilience community to come up with alternative ways of achieving the objectives of a reconnaissance activity. With international travel being disrupted, teams were unable to physically go to the disaster-stricken areas for a field study of damage to buildings and infrastructure. This situation was attempted to be overcome through hybrid missions. These combined remotely coordinated fieldwork and assessment of alternative data sources for deployment for a remote investigation, as detailed in what follows

Common sampling techniques for the assessment of indoor fungal growth

The assessment of indoor fungi has recently gained increasing attention, both by the public and researchers, as the negative effects of the overgrowing moisture and mould-related issues have become more apparent. In order to detect the pathogenic and fabric-damage potentialduee to indoor fungal contamination, multiple air sampling methods were developed over the past decades. However, the selection of the most appropriate techniques for the quantification and/or the identification of the indoor fungal biota may still be challenging for inspectors. This paper aims to produce a critical summary of the most common air sampling methods available to date and underline the merits and risks of each method. The importance of the investigation’s aim in the sampling technique selection process is highlighted

A Study of The Impact of Acrylic Based Surface Waterproofing on The Moisture Behaviour of Brick Masonry Through Dynamic Vapour Sorption (DVS) And Water Absorption Tests

The rate and extent of uptake and release of moisture and liquid water are critical in understanding the behaviour of masonry materials. This study focussed on testing brick masonry to identify the moisture performance difference after treated with acrylic based surface waterproofing – commonly used to lessen water uptake and improve façade durability. Brick and mortar specimens were first tested for water absorption then treated and retested 0, 12 and 24 months later to evaluate the short- and long-term impact of waterproofing on their water absorption capacity. Dynamic Vapour Sorption (DVS) tests were also conducted to quantity the change in their (de)sorptive characteristics. Results from both tests were combined to show the impact and durability of acrylic waterproofing on the moisture behaviour of brick masonry

A critical review of analysis techniques for the assessment of the indoor fungal burden

The assessment of indoor fungal growth has attracted the attention of the research community for many decades. In the effort to assess the fungal burden in the built environment, multiple analysis techniques have been established and offer a plethora of information for the extent of contamination and fungal diversity. However, all analysis techniques are accompanied by drawbacks and the selection of the most appropriate method can become challenging for researchers and practitioners. The aim of this study is to present the most widely used analysis techniques, underline their merits and disadvantages, and provide guidance on the selection process to ensure that the analysis outcomes match the aims of the investigations

The effects of valproic acid on renal corpuscle of pregnant rats and protective role of folic acid and vitamin E

We aimed to investigate the potential harmful effects of valproic acid (VPA), a widely used anticonvulsant in child delivery, and the protective effects of vitamin E (Vit E) and folic acid (FA) on kidney. Sodium valproate (400 mg/kg), folic acid (400 mg/kg) and vitamin E (250 mg/kg) were administered to rats on each of gestation days, 8 th, 9 th, and 10 th. The rats were sacrificed on the 20 th day of pregnancy. With thin sections of kidney biopsies, they were stained with uranyl acetate-lead citrate and examined under transmission electron microscope. The animals were divided into four groups randomly: control, VPA, VPA+FA and VPA+Vit E groups. In each group, drug procedure, surgical procedure and histological methods were performed. The histopathological findings of control group was normal. In VPA group, it showed degenerative changes especially in renal glomerular basal membrane and foot process. Both VPA+FA and VPA+Vit E groups exhibited similar ultrastructural changes and had almost the normal structure. Administration of single doses of SV (400 mg/kg) resulted in degenerative changes on kidney at ultrastructural level. Administration of FA and Vit E had a protective effect by preventing the degenerative changes to a certain degree. The aim of the present study is to examine histopathologic changes which may occur in a high risk experimental model after the administration of valproic acid. In addition, protective roles of the administration of folic acid and vitamin E are assessed.Keywords: Folic acid, kidney, rat, valproic acid, vitamin EAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(34), pp. 5605-5610, 23 August, 201

Characteristics of Strong Ground Motions in the 30 October 2020, MW6.9 Aegean Sea Earthquake

The eastern parts of the Aegean Sea were struck by a destructive MW 6.9 earthquake on 30 October 2020 at 11:51:27 UTC. The earthquake ruptured an East-West trending normal fault in the Aegean Sea between the northern coast of Samos Island and the southern coast of İzmir and also triggered a medium level tsunami and thousands of aftershocks across the region. 119 fatalities, 1,051 injuries, and many collapsed buildings were reported due to the earthquake in the affected region. The most catastrophic consequences of the earthquake were registered in the Bayraklı and Bornova districts, which are built on a deep alluvial Basin approximately 60–70 km away from the epicentre of the mainshock. This paper explains the damage with an extensive dataset of ground motion records of the mainshock and aftershocks, which are provided by both Greek and Turkish networks. A set of ground motion parameters such as peak ordinates, spectral quantities, intensity measures and duration parameters are calculated and analysed. The closest softer soil station in Samos Island produces the highest peak ground acceleration and velocity. The ground motion models employed commonly for the region overestimate the observed data beyond 60–70 km of Joyner-Boore distance except for the recently published local ground motion model, which utilises local earthquakes in the derivation of the model. Contrary to expectations, stiff soil recordings exhibit considerable spectral accelerations in the long period region, similar to those in soft soils. The calculated ground motion parameters are correlated with the results of the hybrid reconnaissance mission, organized by the Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT). Although the peak values and regarded intensity measures clearly highlight the variability in soil conditions in the most damaged area (Bayraklı and Bornova), velocity-based ground motion parameters seem to be the more responsive damage indicators. The spectral shapes of the normalised response spectra in the İzmir Basin are not compatible with the 2018 Turkish seismic code spectrum whereas their response spectra are below the 475-years return period design spectra provided in outdated and current Turkish seismic codes

The effect of natural and extreme weathering on the mechanical properties of structural timber mortise and tenon joints

When used in the appropriate context, timber structures might have lower embodied carbon than their concrete and steel counterparts, making timber a popular material for sustainable construction practices. To continue constructing with timber we require more in-depth exploration into timber joinery which dictates the structural stability and performance of timber framed construction. In this study, the influence of cyclic humidity fluctuations and wetting and drying is tested on mortise and tenon joinery with different detailing (no additional fastening, with glue and with a dowel) for a comparative appraisal of their impact on the joint rotational stiffness. The outcomes show that exposed samples go through a reduction in rotational stiffness independently of the detailing. Peer-review under the responsibility of the organizing committee of the ICMB23

Moisture Compatibility of Portland Stones and other Oolitic Limestones

Approximately 30% of Europe's building stock comprises historic buildings, with the UK having a significant contribution of Portland stone structures. However, difficulties in sourcing the original material have led to the need for compatible material substitutes. Currently, the level of compatibility required between original and substitute material has not been quantified, and the approach has been to evaluate each case separately. This research aims to answer the question of how compatible is compatible enough, specifically in relation to moisture risk, and provide a guiding framework for the heritage conservation sector. The project uses a sensitivity analysis to quantify the compatibility of Portland Stone and other Oolitic limestones, considering porosity and age of the original/substitute stone as sensitive parameters when selecting compatible strategies for repair and reconstructio

Experimental and analytical assessment of the capacity of traditional single notch joints and impact of retrofitting by self-tapping screws

The joints are the most crucial parts of a timber building and determine the overall structural behaviour, load-bearing capacity and failure mechanisms. Therefore, keeping the joints fully functional is of utmost importance to ensure a desired structural performance of timber buildings under various actions. Since replacement of damaged parts of an existing structure is expensive and in many cases very difficult to perform in situ, retrofitting to avoid failure becomes an increasingly widespread strategy. In this paper, the capacity and failure mechanisms of single notch joints before and after a simple retrofitting intervention by means of self-tapping screws were investigated. To this end, a series of tests were carried out during the 5th COST FP 1101 Training School, held in University of Minho, Portugal. The joints were first tested under compression, and the load-bearing capacity values obtained at the end of tests were compared to the capacity values calculated using theoretical models proposed in a variety of national codes. Then, tested joints were retrofitted using self-tapping screws. The retrofitting strategy aimed to prevent failure mechanism that was shown to dominate joints' behaviour in the unreinforced state, rather than to increase the load-bearing capacity or stiffness. The impact of retrofitting on the joints' performance was discussed and the success of the proposed intervention was further debated.- The authors are grateful to COST Action for funding the FP1101 and RILEM 245 Training School at University of Minho in Guimaraes, Portugal, and to Dr. Jorge M. Branco and other members of Civil Engineering Department for making this study possible

Housing-related determinants of lung health in Nunavik, Canada

The impact of climate change on lung health has been long established. The Inuit Nunangat region of Nunavik in Quebec, Canada has long started to face the consequences of climate change. In conjunction with the region’s existing vulnerabilities rooted in social determinants of health and historic injustices, this leads to poor lung health across Nunavik as evidenced by much higher lung disease rates than the Canadian average. This paper aims to describe the aims, objectives and methodology of a new project that has recently been launched to address these issues with specific emphasis on mould detection as well as indoor and building fabric survey: “Resilient Responses to Protect Lung Health in Nunavik” (Anirniq, 2022-2025) funded as part of the Canada-Inuit Nunangat-United Kingdom (CINUK) Arctic Research Programme