Technical-Social Tandem in Restoration of Buildings under Emergency Conditions: 40 Homes in Spain

Abstract

The need for the restoration of buildings that have been suddenly damaged either by natural or human factors affects the tenants of the buildings and can generate posttraumatic stress. Few studies have been conducted on how to repair buildings under such circumstances, and no tools are available that facilitate either the decision-making or the management of social factors under a strategy that simultaneously considers social, technical, and planning aspects. In these cases, an intervention can be considered successful when it is technically and socially satisfactory for the tenants throughout the whole process of rehabilitation work. The emergency work that took place in a building of 40 dwellings is analyzed, which, following damage to an adjacent building, involved the evacuation of all residents and the immediate implementation of psychological first aid and building damage containment. The work was completed successfully in all aspects: economic, temporal, and social. The technical solutions and their implementation are discussed. Finally, an innovative model of action for the restoration of buildings under emergency conditions is proposed. © 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.