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Atlanta, GA | Posted: March 24, 2011
Barbara
Christopher
Industrial and Systems Engineering
404.385.3102
Summary Sentence:
Decision Support Tools for Debris Operations in Natural and Man- Made Disasters
Full Summary:
The amount of debris generated by some large-scale disasters is equivalent in volume to years of normal solid waste production in the affected areas. In Haiti, the task of removing debris could ”require a fleet of approximately 1,000 trucks working 24 hours a day for two years” and cost upwards of a billion dollars. There is a tremendous need for decision support tools that can aid in evaluating the long- and short-term costs and impacts of the interrelated decisions necessary for managing debris operations.
Debris removal challenge after hazardous events.The amount of debris generated by some large-scale disasters is equivalent in volume to years of normal solid waste production in the affected areas. The U.N. estimates that the recent Haitian earthquake produced, at a minimum, 63 million cubic meters of debris, more than even Hurricane Katrina produced. The task of removing this debris could ”require a fleet of approximately 1,000 trucks working 24 hours a day for two years” and cost upwards of a billion dollars. Adding to the challenge, debris operations occur in three phases: clearance, collection and disposal.
Thus, there is a tremendous need for decision support tools that can aid in evaluating the long- and short-term costs and impacts of the interrelated decisions necessary for managing debris operations.
Ozlem Ergun and Pinar Keskinocak are working on developing mathematical models and analysis for aiding decision support in all three phases of the debris operations. In this context, they have collaborated with FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers and local EMAs. Furthermore, a team from Georgia Tech went to Haiti for data collection and situational assessment last year. Click here to view a multi-media presentation of their trip. They have been active in disseminating their findings to impact policy decisions in the Haitian recovery.
