Digital Data Collection for Damage Assessment at World Trade Center

该项目将支持一个侦察小组，使用最近开发的手持技术，从世界痕迹中心遭受恐怖袭击期间受损的建筑物收集损害评估数据。该小组将使用由国家科学基金会支持下的首席调查员开发的PQuake系统，以便在地震后立即收集破坏数据。该系统包括用于记录位置的GPS、用于摄影记录的数码相机、用于记录数据的定制软件的手持计算机和用于快速记录笔记的数字语音记录器。该系统已在印度古吉拉特邦地震后成功使用。只需对软件稍作修改，即可将其改编成用于收集恐怖袭击造成的损害，因为该系统已设计用于记录结构破坏。首先，有系统地收集恐怖袭击期间受损但未被摧毁的建筑物的损坏数据，将有助于评估这些建筑物的结构完整性。这些数据将加快对这些结构的损坏评估和修复。其次，这些数据将成为未来与遭受恐怖袭击、爆炸和火灾的结构的性能有关的研究；开发将此类事件造成的损害降至最低的方法；以及未来城市结构的设计的宝贵资源。第三，这项工作将支持为所有灾后侦察活动制定数据采集和存储协议。尤其是地震工程界才刚刚开始解决如何收集和存档数据的问题。PI是利用手持技术进行快速数据收集的先驱。该项目将继续支持这些方法的发展，并将把它们推广到地震以外的灾害。

This project will support a reconnaissance team using recently developed handheld technology to collect damage assessment data from structures damaged during the terrorist attack on the World Trace Center. The team will use the PQuake system developed by the Principal Investigator under NSF support for collection of damage data immediately after earthquakes. The system includes a GPS for recording location, a digital camera for photographic records, a handheld computer with customized software for recording data and a digital voice recorder to rapidly record notes. This system has been used successfully following the earthquake in Gujarat, India. Only minor modifications would be required in the software to adapt it for use in collecting damage from terrorist attacks, as the system already designed to record structural damage.The purpose of the data collection is threefold. First, systematic collection of damage data from structures damaged, but not destroyed, during the terrorist attack will aid in the assessment of the structural integrity of these buildings. These data will speed up the assessment of damage and the repair of these structures. Second, the data will serve as a valuable resource for future research related to performance of structures subjected to terrorist attack, explosions and fires; the development of methods of minimizing damage from such occurrences; and future design of urban structures. Third, this work will support the development of data acquisition and storage protocols for all post-disaster reconnaissance activities. The earthquake engineering community in particular is just starting to address the question of how to collect and archive data. The PI is a pioneer in the utilization of handheld technology for rapid data collection. This project will provide continued support for the development of these methods and will extend their use to disasters other than earthquakes.