Remote Sensing for Resilient Multi-Hazard Disaster Response, Volume II: Counting the Number of Collapsed Buildings Using an Object-Oriented Analysis: Case Study of the 2003 Bam Earthquake

Abstract: This report presents a new image processing technique based on ‘object-oriented’ analysis to count the number of buildings that collapsed during the 2003 Bam, Iran earthquake. Two methodologies are presented, both using a two-phase process comprising building inventory development and damage assessment. Building inventory development provides a count of the total number of structures (both damaged and non-damaged) based on analysis of the ‘before’ building stock. The damage assessment employs reclassification and edge extraction theoretical techniques to identify the presence of collapsed structures. This is Volume II of a five part series of reports that investigate the use of remote sensing techniques for resilient multi-hazard disaster response.