Recent natural and human-induced events have highlighted the fragility and vulnerability of the built environment to disasters. These physical systems have traditionally been designed, built and maintained by the myriad professions involved with the construction industry. Therefore, designing and constructing a built environment that can cope with the impacts of disasters demands an in-depth understanding of the expertise and knowledge on avoiding and mitigating the effects of hazards in order to secure a more sustainable future (Hamelin and Hauke 2005; Bosher et al. 2007).