Quantitative assessment of post-disaster housing recovery: a case study of Punta Gorda, Florida, after Hurricane Charley

Quantitative assessment of post-disaster housing recovery is critical to enhancing understanding of the process and improving the decisions that shape it. Nevertheless, few comprehensive empirical evaluations of post-disaster housing recovery have been conducted, and no standard measurement methods exist. This paper presents a quantitative assessment of housing recovery in Punta Gorda, Florida, United States, following Hurricane Charley of August 2004, including an overview of the phases of housing recovery, progression of recovery over time, alternative trajectories of recovery, differential recovery, incorporation of mitigation, and effect on property sales. The assessment is grounded in a conceptual framework that considers the recovery of both people and place, and that emphasises recovery as a process, not as an endpoint. Several data sources are integrated into the assessment-including building permits, remotely sensed imagery, and property appraiser data-and their strengths and limitations are discussed with a view to developing a standardised method for measuring and monitoring housing recovery. © 2013 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2013

Advancements in fragility analysis using numerical calibration methods for a horizontally curved RC bridge

Horizontally curved reinforced concrete (RC) bridge piers are subjected to combined actions of axial, shear, bending and torsion. The interaction between these combined forces in the highly inelastic range significantly influences the response of the bridge piers. In this paper, a three-dimensional fiber-based finite element model of a curved bridge is developed. The model is then calibrated based on experimental data. The calibration process is conducted with the objective of developing a computationally inexpensive model that can accurately mimic the response of bridge piers subjected to complex multi-directional earthquake loading conditions. An evaluation of the seismic fragility relationships of a curved bridge is undertaken using the initial (un-calibrated) and calibrated numerical models. The results from both models indicate that combined forces interaction significantly affect fragility relationships