A GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making approach for seismic vulnerability assessment using quantifier-guided OWA operator: a case study of Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Earthquakes are one of the most destructive disasters that cause huge damage to structures and human beings. It is not possible to predict the exact location, duration and intensity of an earthquake; however, the probable damages may be predicted in advance. Tehran has suffered from a number of non-standard aged buildings, a high population density and the existence of a number of faults which have made it significantly vulnerable to the risk of earthquakes. In this research, Tehran’s earthquake physical vulnerability map has been produced. The main contribution of this research is to take the effect of the optimism degree into account in the problem of seismic vulnerability assessment. The ordered weighted averaging operator is applied to provide a wide range of answers from pessimistic to optimistic solutions based on multi-criteria analysis. The results are then compared with the granular computing and intuitionistic fuzzy (Int_Fuzzy) models that indicate 91% and 89% similarity, respectively.