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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS OF CBE APPLICATION
CBE may be used with existing technologies. Indeed, it is in current use, though unintentionally and
perhaps in a less structured manner than that depicted in Figure 1. However, its true appeal is in the fact
that its requirements set research and development priorities that, in turn, bolster its application and
increases confidence in decisions based on the outcome of its application. The MAE Center Core
Research Program (CRP) has been formulated to respond to the challenges of developing the next
generation of risk assessment environments, based on the consequence-based engineering approach. The
hierarchical structure of the CRP is shown in
Figure 2.
Damage
Synthesis
CBE
Framework
MAE Center Core
Research Program
Consequence
Minimization
Hazard
Definition
FIGURE 2: MAE CENTER CORE RESEARCH PROGRAM
The structure of the CRP closely follows requirements set by CBE as well as research management, interdisciplinary
teaming of researchers and industrial interest in research products. It comprises three thrust
areas: Hazard Definition (HD), Damage Synthesis (DS) and Consequence Minimization (CM). The CBE
Framework Development (FD) is an overarching activity that guides the projects, develops further the
CBE approach and manages uncertainty throughout the research programs. Therefore, the CBE FD is a
capstone for the three thrust areas. Each thrust area, as well as the capstone FD, comprise a number of
projects that are designed to fulfill a specific requirement in the CBE paradigm development and
application. Broadly, the DS thrust provides damage estimates, both rapid and refined, before an event.
The CM thrust area provides measures of minimizing the damage estimated in DS as well as means of
selecting from a number of possible interventions. The HD thrust provides seismic input (hazard) for all
projects in all required forms.
The projects under each thrust area and the capstone alongside their inter-relationship are shown in Figure
3. In each thrust area there is a gateway project that acts as the outlet from the thrust area to the rest of the
research program. The gateway projects of the three thrusts are: Damage Visualization Module (DS-1),
Decision Support Tools (CM-1) and Synthetic Earthquake Hazard (HD-1).