How vulnerable are buildings to floods?

Flood vulnerability depends on a number of specific building characteristics and varies across the building stock. Corresponding analyses therefore require detailed information about the buildings, in particular about (i) typical damage patterns, (ii) geometric factors and dimensions, as well as (iii) constructions, materials, and building services. In this context, it is also important to know to how buildings can be grouped in terms of similar damage behaviour.


We use urban structures and building types to cluster the building stock in conjunction with synthetic depth damage functions. The building typology approach groups the objects according to construction periods, urban structures and main construction that lead to type-related similar damage behaviour. Synthetic damage functions are then developed for each relevant building type, characterised in particular by site-specific investigations and engineering analyses of characteristic buildings, as well as stepwise determination of refurbishment costs.


The methods and approaches highlighted here are key components of our spatial risk model and the FLOOD.Bi application.

More information to the topic floods