Finding Suitable Locations for Temporary Housing After An Earthquake Using TOPSIS and AHP Methods (Case Study: Rudsar City)

Authors

  • Behnam Bahadori * Member of the Construction Engineering Organization, Mazandaran Province, Iran.
  • Masoumeh Eshgevaryan Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Guilan, Guilan, Iran. https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4595-5318

https://doi.org/10.48314/jcase.v3i1.77

Abstract

This research was conducted with the aim of finding suitable locations for temporary housing after an earthquake using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and  Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods (case study: Rudsar city). The statistical population studied in this study included relief and rescue experts as well as various parts of the city of Rudsar for temporary accommodation after the earthquake. The present research method is field-based and descriptive survey-based, and the data collection tool in this study includes a researcher-made questionnaire as well as field measurements. In this study, 4500 plots of land and 9 different blocks for settlement were initially examined using the desired criteria, and the distribution range of each of these blocks was implemented in Geographic Information System (GIS) software. The final criteria identified in this study included the criteria of land use, population, natural, security, and accessibility. Initially, the weight of each of these criteria was calculated using fuzzy AHP analysis, and the results of fuzzy AHP analysis showed that the order of importance of each was as follows: 1) Population criterion, 2) Security criterion, 3) Access criterion, 4) User criterion, and 5)Natural criterion. After identifying the weights of the criteria, the fuzzy TOPSIS method was used to select a suitable location for temporary housing. For this purpose, the opinions of experts were used, and the results of the fuzzy TOPSIS analysis showed that Block 7 was the best location for temporary housing after the earthquake in the city of Rudsar.  

Keywords:

Location, Temporary settlement, Fuzzy analysis, Earthquake

References

  1. [1] Sivaji, C., Nishizawa, O., & Fukushima, Y. (2001). Relationship between fluctuations of arrival time and energy of seismic waves and scale length of heterogeneity: An inference from experimental study. Bulletin of the seismological society of America, 91(2), 292–303. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120000046
  2. [2] Berberian, M. (1995). Master “blind” thrust faults hidden under the Zagros folds: Active basement tectonics and surface morphotectonics. Tectonophysics, 241(3–4), 193–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(94)00185-C
  3. [3] Falcon, N. L., Ambraseys, N. N., & Melville, C. P. (1983). A history of persian earthquakes. The geographical journal (Vol. 149). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/634025
  4. [4] Leonard, P. B., Baldwin, R. F., Duffy, E. B., Lipscomb, D. J., & Rose, A. M. (2014). High-throughput computing provides substantial time savings for landscape and conservation planning. Landscape and urban planning, 125, 156–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.02.016
  5. [5] United nations office for disaster risk reduction (UNDRR). (2009). 2009 UNISDR terminology on disaster risk reduction. https://www.undrr.org/publication/2009-unisdr-terminology-disaster-risk-reduction
  6. [6] Nikpour, A., & Ashoori, M. (2023). Evaluation of the principles and criteria of resilience in urban management (Case study: Qazvin). Sustainable cities and society, 95, 104590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2023.104590
  7. [7] Boin, A., Kuipers, S., & Wolbers, J. (2025). The politics of crisis management in the Netherlands. The Oxford handbook of dutch politics. Cambridge University Press.
  8. [8] Kirkland, B. P. (1923). Essentials of Management Plans. Journal of forestry (Vol. 21). Visit Tata McGraw-Hill.
  9. [9] Soltani, A., Ardalan, A., Boloorani, A. D., Haghdoost, A., & Hosseinzadeh-Attar, M. J. (2014). Site selection criteria for sheltering after earthquakes: A systematic review. PLoS currents, 6, ecurrents--dis. https://doi.org/10.1371/currents.dis.17ad1f98fb85be80785d0a81ced6a7a6
  10. [10] Li, S., Kahn, M. E., & Nickelsburg, J. (2015). Public transit bus procurement: The role of energy prices, regulation and federal subsidies. Journal of urban economics, 87, 57–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jue.2015.01.004
  11. [11] Saaty, T. L. (1986). Axiomatic foundation of the analytic hierarchy process. Management science, 32(7), 841–855. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.32.7.841
  12. [12] Chu, J. Y., & Su, Y. P. (2011). Comprehensive evaluation index system in the application for earthquake emergency shelter site. Advanced materials research, 156, 79–83. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.156-157.79

Downloads

Published

2026-03-19

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): Journal of Civil Aspects and Structural Engineering

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Bahadori, B., & Eshgevaryan, M. (2026). Finding Suitable Locations for Temporary Housing After An Earthquake Using TOPSIS and AHP Methods (Case Study: Rudsar City). Journal of Civil Aspects and Structural Engineering, 3(1), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.48314/jcase.v3i1.77

Similar Articles

1-10 of 33

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.