Assessment of vulnerable buildings due to earthquake loading using Rapid Visual Screening smartphone application

Examination of vulnerability level of buildings to earthquakes is divided into two types, the quick checks (Rapid Visual Screening, RVS) and a thorough examination. On thorough examination, it involves specialists of the field of building structures and other related fields, takes longer and is also cost much more expensive. While a quick check, it does not involve many specialists in a particular area, does not require a long time and are relatively inexpensive. This study builds an assessment of the vulnerability of buildings quickly adapted from FEMA 154 to the conditions and rules that applied in Indonesia using a smartphone application. A Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is used to mark the location of the data of the examination. The smartphone application called RViSITS is used to simplify and speed up the examination process and sent via the internet, and the server as a gathering and processing data. Furthermore, from these data do building vulnerability mapping and disaster-affected areas, which can then be accessed by the public, government and private sectors as well as database information. In this research, the RViSITS application process is to apply the application to do a quick check on the buildings in Surabaya, so that later the database and mapping vulnerability condition of buildings owned by government institutions in Surabaya against earthquake loadings can be made. While in general, this application can be used any places, so that the database and mapping the vulnerability of buildings can be held any area in Indonesia.