7. Recommendations and Future Use

In future projects, implementing lifeline pipe data, for gas, power and water, would allow for a building functionality index to be established.  This index would be used to determine if a building could still function normally after an earthquake event.  For example a house without power supply, can still function at a certain level compared to a hospital which could not function with any of the lifelines cutoff.  This pipeline data would also allow for the prediction of indirect hazards such as fires and floods caused by damage to gas and water pipes during an earthquake.  Another topic we would have liked to analyze would be the seismic risks associated with the bridges.  This would produce maps which would be very helpful for municipalities concerned with seismic risk assessment.

Modifiers included in the building inventory could be included in future analysis.  Modifiers such as structural shape, pounding, retrofitting and geology can be included to more accurately assess the seismic risk.  Geological data could be helpful in estimating site amplification which could lead to a threat of liquefaction.  In particular, the area of False Creek is built on fill materials which are prone to liquefaction in high intensity events.

Now that we have estimated the direct economic and social losses, these methodologies can be applied to all municipalities in Southwestern British Columbia to predict the direct seismic risk.  Our analysis could be completed if induced physical damage caused by processes of inundation, fires, debris or a massive release of hazardous materials was examined.  This analysis would require additional data from multiple resource suppliers and municipalities.