Classification and Idealization of the Building Stock in the UAE for Earthquake Loss Estimation

This paper addresses essential components for predicting earthquake losses in the highly populated area in Dubai, UAE, namely the compilation, classification, design and idealization of the building inventory. Collecting the characteristics of the large and diverse building stock in Dubai is a challenging task. This is achieved using satellite images and confirmatory site visits. A GIS data of the urban development is also used to verify the collected data. The building inventory is classified according to four criteria, namely the building height, function, construction date and the population intensity of the construction site. A wide range of reference structures with various characteristics is selected to represent the building stock. The selected buildings are fully designed and idealized to represent pre-code, contemporary and critical facilities with different characteristics. This enables the derivation of a wide range of vulnerability relationships prepared for integration with a loss estimation system for the UAE.