Tornadoes are among the most destructive natural disasters, posing significant risks to communities and infrastructure, underlining the need for robust methodologies to assess building vulnerability and enhance structural resilience. This research addresses the gap in current tornado vulnerability studies by investigating the impact of material deterioration on building fragility, focusing on commercial buildings at the end of their useful life. The overarching goal is to comprehensively quantify the effects of material deterioration on tornado vulnerability, including its implications for EF-scale ranking and associated wind-speed thresholds for Degree of Damage (DOD) classifications.
The research develops predictive models to forecast deterioration trends for various building components. Focusing on deterioration rates for poorly maintained buildings at the end of their useful life and using probabilistic modeling approaches, the research develops time-dependent deterioration fragility curves to quantify the changing vulnerability of materials used in commercial buildings.
The results reveal decreased wind speed thresholds for EF-scale ranking, indicating notable changes in tornado-induced damage potential due to material deterioration. Additionally, changes in EF-scale ranking and DOD wind speed thresholds underscore the probable inadequacy of existing evaluation protocols that do not account for material deterioration. This research enhances resilience and promotes sustainable development in tornado-prone regions by illuminating the dynamic nature of tornado vulnerability.