Scenario: The adage goes: "it's not earthquakes that kill people, it's buildings that do."  You are part of a geological engineering consulting company hired by Western Washington University to help allocate 5 million dollars for seismic mitigation.  You will use a quantitative rating form invented by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to compare Western's buildings.  The FEMA method is called Rapid Visual Screening (RVS), because most buildings are assessed quickly, viewed from the outside.  Buildings that deserve more detailed analysis are targeted and entered. This and the following Modules will guide your investigation. Module 1 is organizational, Module 2 teaches how to use the FEMA method, Module 3 builds the scientific knowledge and geologic context of this investigation, Module 4 guides your questioning strategies and Module 5 is where you will analyze your data.

Product:  You will submit a report that summarizes your observations and analysis.  You should include maps, images and graphs to support your text.

Your Tasks for Module 1:

1. You are to form groups of 3 and come up with a name and motto for your company .
2. Write your names and company name on a form supplied by your teacher.  Find out your team code (a letter).
3. Go to the teacher's building map and use your code to find out which cluster of  buildings you are assigned to analyze.
4. Obtain a field copy of a map for your own use.  Circle your buildings and make sure you understand where they are.
5. Then go onto Module 2: Quantifying Risk Using RVS.

Background: We assess a buildings vulnerability to Earthquakes using 3 criteria:

1. Building Material (i.e. wood, brick, concrete etc.)
2. Building Shape and Design (a cube or lath being safest)
3. Geologic Surface Material (bedrock, glacial drift or sands, river deposits etc.)

Your Task:  Practice Rapid Visual Screening with a series of images that showcase many buildings, most damaged by earthquake.  View the images with the multiple-open option in L-View.  Load a text file called "buildings.txt." Click Here for an Annotation Sheet for details.

Directions:
1. Start the program L-View.
2. Select Multiple Open under the File pull down menu.
3. Click on the Load From File Button, near the bottom.
4. Find and select the file:    Sys on Socrates F:\users\wesi\geohazards index\buildings.txt
5. Click on Setup to chose how you will advance the slides and how they will fit the screen.

Step #1: Follow demonstration and discussion by teacher.
Step #2: Use the criteria and terminology embodied in the RVS method to assess the buildings in the text file.

Josh Yorkston's Report on the seismic vulnerability of the Fairhaven District explains the method.

Your Homework:

1. Know how to locate your buildings.
2. Take enough RVS forms to assess each building (one per building).
3. Bring in your completed for our next class.
4. When you return your data will be entered into a spreadsheet.

1.  Start Microsoft Word and type in your thoughts to some Journal
     Questions available at:

f:\users\wesi\documents\journal.doc

In this Module you will use interactive software to explore the history of seismicity in the Pacific Northwest.  Consider the region to be the Pacific Northwest.  This will help you gain an understanding of seismic history which will be essential for writing the background section of your report.

You Task:  Complete the worksheet that guides you through the data presented by the computer programs:  Seismic Eruption and Portrait USA.  The last question asks you to summarize the seismic history in a well written paragraph.  You could organize it around these themes:

1.  Plate Tectonic Setting that causes earthquakes in our region.
2.  The size, location and depth of measured earthquakes.

More Journalizing:

1.  Start Microsoft Word and type in your thoughts to  some More Journal
     Questions available at:

f:\users\wesi\documents\journal.doc

Now that a vast amount of information has been gathered it is time to analyze this data in a systematic way.  You need to identify some analytical questions that will help you addressed your Driving Question (how to spend $5,000,000 dollars).  The module after this will teach you to use a GIS software which has the capability of doing spatial database analysis.  But the starting place is not the computer, it is your questions.
 

Your Tasks:

1. List the factors that you consider most important to make this decision.
2. Identify 3 questions will you need to answer, hoping for GIS assistance.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful computer tool for analyzing any kind of spatial data base.  We have a large amount of data related to a population of buildings.  GIS will allow us to address complicated qualitative and quantitative questions.  Our charge in this investigation is to decide how to best allocate 5 millions dollars for seismic mitigation.  The GIS will allow us to extract the quantitative information we need to come to a decision.

The most challenging part of GIS is getting the information into the computer for analysis.  After that a user must know how to employ the features of the software to address analytical questions.
 

Your Tasks for handling data:

1.  It will be necessary to determine the Building id Number that the computer  uses to identify specific buildings and also the GSM number (geologic surface materials) so you can calculate the buildings overall RVS rating.

2. Familiarize yourself with the program Arcview GIS. Click here for guidance. Make it a priority to learn and record the GSM number and Building Numbers of those you have analyzed.

3.  Type your RVS results and the Building id Number into an Excel file       that exists on the network. Someone will group this data and join it with the GIS.

Instructions for Excel File:
1.  Start the program Excel.
2.  Open the read-only file called "attribute.dbf."  Its path is

f:\users\wesi\gis\bldgdata\attribute.dbf

3.  Type in the information you have on your RVS forms and the Building id Number.
4.  If you have comments for a specific building they will have to be written in a separate text file (using Notepad) whose name only will be saved in the "comments" column of the Excel file.  The text file itself may be saved in:

f:\users\wesi\userfiles\attirbutes\*.txt

f:\users\wesi\userfiles\attirbutes\*.dbf

Return to the "How to Use Arcview.." page and go to the section on "Analyzing Buildings."  This section lists the steps to do specific analyses.  See if there is an example of one of your questions.  If not, try these and see if some modification to the instructions will allow you to address your questions.

1.  Start Microsoft Word and type in your thoughts to  some More Journal
     Questions available at:

f:\users\wesi\documents\journal.doc