The Structural Extreme Events Reconnaissance (StEER) Network has issued a Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report (PVRR) for the M7.2 Nippes, Haiti Earthquake that occurred on August 14, 2021. Because the DesignSafe Data Depot is in scheduled maintenance this week, please use this temporary URL to access the PVRR: https://aub.ie/steer-eq-20210814Haiti
The PVRR highlights five topics warranting further study following this earthquake:
- TOPIC 1: Performance of Post-2010 and Post-2016 Construction
- TOPIC 2: Performance of Confined Masonry Systems
- TOPIC 3: Performance of Vernacular Architecture
- TOPIC 4: Locally Viable, Affordable and Safe Construction Solutions
- TOPIC 5: Rapid Assessment Capabilities in Data-Sparse Environments
Citation: Kijewski-Correa, T., Alhawamdeh, B., Arteta, C., Djima, W., Do, T., García Mejía, S., Gartner, M., Gunay, S., Hassan, W., Javadinasab Hormozabad, S., Marinković, M., Martin, A., Merino-Peña, Y., Pajaro, C., Romão, X., Burlotos, C., M. Mosalam, K., Robertson, I., Rogers, J., Taflanidis, A. (2021) "StEER: M7.2 Nippes, Haiti Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report (PVRR)," in StEER - 14 August 2021, M7.2 Nippes Earthquake, Haiti. DesignSafe-CI. https://doi.org/10.17603/h7vg-5691.
In response, StEER has escalated this event to a Tier 3 response with Field Assessment Structural Teams in support of Topic 5, employing a new hybrid model that couples local non-expert data collectors with virtual engineers remotely viewing their records and completing the performance assessment. StEER is continuing to enlist engineers to participate in this hybrid-response model; members wishing to support this effort can enlist here. The dedicated page for this response (https://www.steer.network/haiti-response) includes a map of records collected to date and additional resources for virtual assessors.
Virtual assessors will also have the opportunity to contribute to the Early Access Reconnaissance Report (EARR), which will be issued based on the collected field data. This EARR will be developed as a joint effort between StEER and the UK’s Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT), which has kindly enlisted its members to support this virtual assessment effort.
Visit the StEER website (https://www.steer.network) for more information on this and other natural hazard event responses.