Ergo Consortium Hosts Special Session at the 16ECEE Conference

Members of the Ergo Consortium organized a special session as part of the 16ECEE conference entitled “Software for Loss Estimation: Developments and Applications.” This special session dealt with the development and application of software for the risk analysis of buildings, bridges, lifelines, critical infrastructure, etc., which are exposed to seismic and other natural hazards, and of the resulting economic and social losses, including shelter needs. Development and applications for multi-hazard assessment are encouraged as well as the ones that assess the relationship and interaction between hazards that occur simultaneously or the interaction between elements at risk. Open source software for seismic risk analysis was a precursor to similar developments for many different risks; therefore, the session, in addition to considering different natural hazards—such as hurricanes, tsunami, fires, landslides and floods, etc.—might consider extensions to the topics of climate change, manmade and technological risks, among others. Papers promoting resilience and sustainability are encouraged. The session aims to bring together researchers, software developers, practitioners and stakeholders (e.g. civil protection, insurance industry, lifeline owners, etc.), who deal with loss estimation and risk management during natural calamities. During the session, recent advances in available software for risk analysis and loss estimation will be presented, and limitations and future needs will be discussed.