The purpose of this study is to demonstrate and evaluate the feasibility of change and damage detection in urban environments after a disastrous earthquake using SAR data. Marmara earthquake occurred on August 17, 1999 with a magnitude of 7.4 and caused extensive urban damage in the northwestern region of Turkey. In a reconnaissance mission1, observation and ground truth of several locations in that area were made about fifty days after this earthquake. In this paper, town of Seymen (40 degree(s) 42' N latitude and 29 degree(s) 54' E longitude) is being focused. The city extensively suffered building damage with dominant mode of pancaking failure. The area of interest basically consisted of residential apartment buildings situated in large, open areas. Typically buildings are 6 stories moment resisting concrete frame structures with inclined roofs. Pancaking modes of failure were observed involving collapses ranging from one to three stories in most of the buildings. ERS SAR data (for before and after earthquake), Landsat images of the area and GPS readings of building corners are used in this research. Image processing and change detection algorithms, especially correlation and coherence maps are obtained from before and after SAR complex images. Implemented algorithms show valuable means for change detection and can indicate the location of building damages.

Date Published: 30 July 2001
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 4330, Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Smart Systems for Bridges, Structures, and Highways, (30 July 2001); doi: 10.1117/12.434125

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4330:
Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Smart Systems for Bridges, Structures, and Highways
S.-C. Liu, Editor(s)