Satellite-Based InSAR Data-Driven Urban Building Stability Assessment： A Case Study of Kunming City

Objectives:Interferometric synthetic aperture radar(InSAR) technology, as an efficient tool for urban deformation monitoring, has been widely applied to surface subsidence and infrastructure deformation monitoring, providing support for urban safety and sustainable development. Methods:This study innovatively explores the relationship between displacement signals measured by PS-InSAR and building stability, proposing two key indicators:The root mean square rate indicator based on building deformation intensity characteristics, and the rate distribution index constructed from the spatial distribution of building deformations. A PS-InSAR data-driven framework for building stability assessment is developed, which integrates deformation signals with building structural characteristics to enable large-scale, systematic evaluations of urban building stability.This study collects 106 high-resolution TerraSAR-X images over Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China, to assess the effectiveness of the proposed framework for large-scale urban building stability evaluation. Results:The experimental results indicate that 86.96% of the buildings in Kunming's urban area are classified as stable, while 8.37% exhibit minor deformations that warrant closer monitoring, and 4.2% are categorized as potentially unstable, necessitating more detailed investigation. Only 0.47% of the buildings were found to be at high risk. Conclusions:The analysis further highlights that building stability is profoundly influenced by factors such as ongoing construction activities and the structural characteristics of the buildings (e.g., height). Specifically, highrise buildings in regions with frequent construction tend to display poorer stability, which suggests a need for targeted monitoring in such areas. These findings provide a robust scientific basis for identifying buildings at risk and offer valuable insights for urban planning, risk management, and engineering decision-making processes, thereby contributing to the development of proactive infrastructure management strategies.