The panel encourages more systematic and sophisticated studies of losses to lifeline systems, partially for the purpose of aiding in the maturing of lifeline loss estimation. However, additional damage statistics will accumulate only slowly, because so many factors affect the behavior of components in lifeline systems. In general-purpose loss estimates, the main focus of this study, special attention must be given to those facilities most essential to emergency response, such as fire stations, emergency operations centers, and hospitals. Obviously, if such facilities suffer severe structural damage, their usefulness will be negated or greatly impaired. However, even if there is little or no structural damage, the facility may be unable to function effectively if nonstructural damage causes critical equipment to be dislodged or overturned, or if essential or dangerous chemicals have been thrown down from shelves, or if lifelines services are interrupted.
Nonstructural damage is significant because it is generally more widespread than structural damage.
During a loss study, it generally is necessary to walk through each essential facility allowing sufficient time to assess the likelihood of severe structural damage, but it also is essential to ascertain whether critical equipment and supplies have been adequately secured, and whether back-up resources have been arranged to deal with utility outages. This is labor intensive work and requires earthquake engineering expertise, but these are unavoidable costs. Undertaking a detailed structural analysis of such facilities is generally beyond the scope of a loss study. However, it may be desirable to examine structural drawings and to utilize a rapid assessment method. Critical evaluation of these methods is beyond the scope of this report.