Inventory Methodology
The Consequences Solution is designed to operate out of the box with two predefined national inventories: the National Structures Inventory (NSI) and the Milliman Market Basket Data. Users may also integrate their own custom structure inventories by defining a corresponding JSON schema. For additional guidance on NSI Milliman inventories, and configuring and loading custom inventories, refer to the Technical Implementation Documentation.
Inventory Dataset Format
The Consequences Solution currently accepts input inventory datasets in point geometry format, representing the location of each structure to be analyzed. Supported input formats include Comma-Separated Values (.csv), Esri Shapefile (.shp), File Geodatabase (.gdb), and GeoPackage (.gpkg). Each record should include the required attribute fields used in the loss calculations, and all spatial data should be stored in a projected coordinate system appropriate for the analysis extent. Using point-based inputs ensures compatibility with the consequence modeling workflow and enables efficient spatial joins with hazard and inventory datasets.
Inventory Attributes Used in Analysis
The following attributes are used in the Consequences Solution loss calculations. While providing all recommended fields from the input inventory dataset ensures more accurate loss estimates, missing attributes will automatically be populated with default values. However, reliance on these defaults may reduce the precision of results.
Loss calculations for inland and coastal areas require different sets of input attributes. Table 1 outlines the required inventory inputs for inland loss calculations, while Table 4 details the corresponding inputs for coastal loss calculations.
Table 1. Inventory Input Data Requirements for Inland Consequence Modeling
| Input Data | Required / Optional | Purpose | Default Process If Data Not Provided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Required | Locational geometry is required for spatial analysis. | None, required input. If CSV option added, alt and long fields would replace this. |
| Unique ID | Required | Used for identifying the structure throughout analysis. | None, required input. |
| Occupancy Type | Optional | Primary use is for the selection of depth damage functions in analysis. A secondary use is to provide default values if square footage/area attribution is unavailable. | Defaults to RES1. |
| Building Value | Required | Used for the calculation of structural loss. | None, required input. See Hazus Inventory Manual if guidance is required. |
| Content Value | Optional | Used for the calculation of content loss. | If not provided, structures will be assigned a default content value based on a percentage of the building value for each Occupancy Type following the Hazus Methodology. See Table 3 for percentages by occupancy type. |
| Number of Stories | Optional | Used for the assignment of depth damage functions in analysis. | Defaults to 1 story. Important for RES1 when available, as DDFs differ significantly. Cannot exceed 3 for RES1. |
| Area / Square Footage | Optional | Used for assigning depth damage functions and for calculations such as debris and income-related losses. | If not provided, structures will be assigned a default area based on typical square footage by Occupancy Type from the Hazus Methodology (see Table 2). |
| General Building Type | Optional | Used for assignment of flood-specific building type for inland analysis. | Defaults to W (Wood). Hazus tract-level mapping schemes by occupancy type (hzGenBldgScheme) can be used to enhance inventories. |
| Foundation Type | Optional | Used for selecting the appropriate depth damage function. | Defaults to Slab. Hazus mapping schemes (also used by NSI) are available for users to enhance inventories. |
| Foundation Height | Optional | Used to determine depth of water within a structure. | Defaults: Slab = 1 ft, Shallow = 3 ft, Pile = 8 ft, Basement = 2 ft. Adjustments can be considered for pre- and post-FIRM structures. |
| Foundation Type from Parcel Data | Optional | Used, if available, to refine foundation type assignment. | -- |
| Basement Type from Parcel Data | Optional | Used, if available, to refine foundation type assignment. | -- |
Table 2. Hazus Methodology for Default Building Square Footage by Occupancy Type
| Occupancy Type | Square Footage |
|---|---|
| AGR1 | 30,000 |
| COM1 | 110,000 |
| COM10 | 145,000 |
| COM2 | 30,000 |
| COM3 | 10,000 |
| COM4 | 80,000 |
| COM5 | 4,100 |
| COM6 | 55,000 |
| COM7 | 7,000 |
| COM8 | 5,000 |
| COM9 | 12,000 |
| EDU1 | 130,000 |
| EDU2 | 50,000 |
| GOV1 | 11,000 |
| GOV2 | 11,000 |
| IND1 | 30,000 |
| IND2 | 30,000 |
| IND3 | 45,000 |
| IND4 | 45,000 |
| IND5 | 45,000 |
| IND6 | 30,000 |
| REL1 | 17,000 |
| RES1 | 1,800 |
| RES2 | 1,475 |
| RES3A | 2,200 |
| RES3B | 4,400 |
| RES3C | 8,000 |
| RES3D | 15,000 |
| RES3E | 40,000 |
| RES3F | 80,000 |
| RES4 | 135,000 |
| RES5 | 25,000 |
| RES6 | 25,000 |
Table 3. Content Value as Percent of Building Value by Occupancy Type
| Occupancy Type | Content Value (%) |
|---|---|
| AGR1 | 100% |
| COM1 | 100% |
| COM10 | 50% |
| COM2 | 100% |
| COM3 | 100% |
| COM4 | 100% |
| COM5 | 100% |
| COM6 | 150% |
| COM7 | 150% |
| COM8 | 100% |
| COM9 | 100% |
| EDU1 | 100% |
| EDU2 | 150% |
| GOV1 | 100% |
| GOV2 | 150% |
| IND1 | 150% |
| IND2 | 150% |
| IND3 | 150% |
| IND4 | 150% |
| IND5 | 150% |
| IND6 | 100% |
| REL1 | 100% |
| RES1 | 50% |
| RES2 | 50% |
| RES3A | 50% |
| RES3B | 50% |
| RES3C | 50% |
| RES3D | 50% |
| RES3E | 50% |
| RES3F | 50% |
| RES4 | 50% |
| RES5 | 50% |
| RES6 | 50% |
Table 4. Inventory Input Data Requirements for Coastal Consequence Modeling
| Input Data | Required / Optional | Purpose | Default Process |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Required | Locational geometry is required for spatial analysis. | None, required input. |
| Unique ID | Required | Used for identifying the structure throughout analysis. | None, required input. |
| Building Value | Required | Used for the calculation of structural loss. | None, required input. |
| Ground Elevation | Required | Used to determine depth of water in structure. | None, required input. |
| Number of Stories | Optional | Used for the assignment of depth damage functions in analysis. | Defaults to 1 story if data not provided. |
| Foundation Type | Optional | Used for the selection of the depth damage function. | Defaults to Slab. |
| Foundation Height / First Floor Height | Optional | Used for determining depth of water within a structure. | Defaults: Basement = 4 ft, Crawlspace = (unspecified), Pier = 5 ft, Fill = 3 ft, Slab = 1 ft, Pile/Wall = 8 ft. Adjustments may be applied for pre- and post-FIRM structures. |
| Basement Type | Optional | Used for determining damage function. | Defaults to No Basement. |
| Content Insurance Deductible | Optional | Not used for loss calculations. | None. |
| Content Insurance Limit | Optional | Not used for loss calculations. | None. |
| Building Insurance Deductible | Optional | Not used for loss calculations. | None. |
| Building Insurance Limit | Optional | Not used for loss calculations. | None. |