# Vulnerability of Buildings to Meteorological Hazards:
## 3 Web-Based Application
### Implementation of the Vulnerability Index  
In a first step, the user must choose the building type to be assessed. These building types are representative of the majority of residential buildings in Austria [57] (see Figure 3). In more detail, the building typology includes the following building types:  
1. Worker house (_Arbeiterhaus_): The construction of this type of building started in the 1950s. This type of building is an old-style, single-family house common in historically industrialized areas in Austria. Moreover, the building materials used are of lower quality according to the post-WW II building practices.
2. Single-family house (_Einfamilienhaus_): A single-family house is a residential building where one family lives (one residential unit). The construction period for this building type started in the 1960s.
3. Country house (_Landhaus_): A country house is located in the countryside, and it often has a large and heavy roof and one or two floors. Furthermore, a lot of real wood is used for country houses. Other defining features are large wooden balconies and lattice windows made of wood with window shutters. Hip and gable roofs are particularly common for the roof shape, but there are numerous variations possible. In addition, the construction of this building prototype started the 1950s.
4. Row house (_Reihenhaus_): Row houses are single-family houses that are built in a closed row (terraced housing) with at least two homes that have a similar design. The side walls that are shared with the adjacent house must be double-walled and without windows, and a small garden is another feature of most row houses. Furthermore,row houses are located in urban areas or near cities. This type of building began to be constructed in 2000.
5. Apartment building (_Wolnlblock_): These types of buildings are comprised of large multi-family and multi-story residential structures with more than eleven housing units and are mostly found in the central part of urban areas. The construction period of this type of building started in the 1980s.  
In the second step, the user must define the construction period, the number of floors, and the geographical location (95 districts plus the 23 districts of Vienna) of the building using the respective drop-down menus.  
Next, the online form requires the roof type (Figure 4) and inclination, the roof material and overhang length, and the condition of sealing and tightening of connections, installations, and gutters. In the fourth step, information about the window type and glazing as well as the building openings, other outbuildings, and shutters has to be provided using drop-down menus. In the last step, information on the basement, sewage system, and the surroundings of the building is needed.  
Finally, following the submission of the above information, the web tool produces a summarizing report indicating the overall building vulnerability towards different hazards and the vulnerability of specific components (see Figure 5 as an example). Additional information includes a statistical overview of the municipality.  
Figure 4: Roof typology for residential buildings in Austria.  
Figure 3: Building typology for residential buildings in Austria.  
The report can easily be shared or downloaded using provided links and a QR code. The tool is free of charge and publicly available (www.vulni.at, accessed on 7 March 2023).  
Figure 5: Example for a final vulnerability profile provided by the web tool.  
Future adaptations of the website have already been considered in the concept phase, so changes can be made with very little effort.