State-of-art in computational simulation for natural hazards engineering

This report, a product of the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) SimCenter, provides an overview and review of simulation requirements and software tools for natural hazards engineering of the built environment. Ultimately, the goal is to enable high-fidelity and high-resolution models in regional simulations that can support technological, economic, and policy solutions to mitigate the threat of natural hazards.

The report is organized in a sequential fashion, including: (1) simulation methods to characterize the natural hazards; (2) response simulation of structural and geotechnical systems and localized wind and water flows; and (3) quantifying the resulting damage and its effects on the performance of buildings, transportation systems, and utility infrastructure systems. Given the inherent uncertainties in all aspects of natural hazards engineering, methods of uncertainty propagation are reviewed, with an eye toward their broad applicability within and between the various simulation components.

In addition to summarizing the state-of-art in the various topic areas, each section of the report identifies major research gaps and needs, with the intent that these could motivate research proposals to the National Science Foundation or other agencies that will lead to future advancements. The final chapter of the report summarizes how tools being developed by the NHERI SimCenter are advancing the state-of-art in simulating the effects of natural hazards on the built environment.