efba570d-c66f-4aea-ac8b-4f11eceb7d7d urn:uuid eng UTF-8 nonGeographicDataset nonGeographicDataset 2025-10-17T04:42:39 creation ISO 19115 2016 Engineering models to inform risk mitigation strategies efba570d-c66f-4aea-ac8b-4f11eceb7d7d The Risk and Impact Analysis Group (RIAG) at Geoscience Australia (GA) in Canberra is a multidisciplinary research team. Their key role is to develop knowledge on the risk from natural and human-caused hazards for input to policy and operational decision makers for the mitigation of risk to Australian communities. The RIAG achieves this through the development of computational methods, models and decision support tools that assess the hazard, vulnerability and risk posed by hazards. The RIAG also works with other agencies to develop and collect information on natural disasters that is essential for developing valid risk models for forecasting the impact of future hazard events. The Group includes hazard experts, numerical modellers, engineers, economists, and GIS specialists. This paper will discuss the risk analysis process used at GA, with a particular focus on the vulnerability component. Earthquake and tsunami risk examples will highlight technical aspects of the work and step through the risk analysis framework that has been adopted. The method being used to develop vulnerability models for the wind and tsunami hazard is an engineering model approach. The method requires a generalised hazard definition, an engineering model of a particular structure, and a costing module to calculate the real cost of repairs. The initial focus will be Australian residential structures. The engineering model is based on the assumption that connection failure is the primary initiator of structural failure in residential structures (as opposed to say, a beam or wall stud failing in bending). It also assumes that component failures can be aggregated up into overall damage scenarios. The engineering model employs a Monte Carlo simulation approach that allows for the incorporation of variability (in connection strengths, building orientation, opening sizes, and key hazard parameters). The engineering model approach also allows the opportunity to investigate mitigation options through strengthening structural components. The multi-hazard risk approach used at GA is a move towards being able to make informed decisions on how to manage the risk from natural hazards. This paper has presented examples of computational natural hazard risk with a particular focus on the development of engineering vulnerability models. Presented at the International Forum on Engineering Decision Making, 12th to 15th Dec, 2007, Port Stephens, NSW. {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[112.0, -44.0], [154.0, -44.0], [154.0, -9.0], [112.0, -9.0], [112.0, -44.0]]]} 112.0 154.0 -44.0 -9.0 EARTH SCIENCES Mitigation Published_External Vulnerability Link to Conference Page documentDigital Link to Conference Page HTML Download Presentation (pdf) [11MB] documentDigital Download Presentation (pdf) [11MB] PDF