Seismic vulnerability assessment of historical urban centres: case study of the old city centre in Seixal, Portugal

The seismic vulnerability assessment of old masonry buildings is essential not only to buildings with recognised historical and heritage value but also to ordinary residential masonry buildings. This paper approaches the seismic vulnerability assessment of masonry buildings by applying a simplified methodology to the old city centre of Seixal in Portugal. The methodology adopted in this study was based on a vulnerability index used for the evaluation of damage and the study of loss scenarios on a large scale. Over 500 buildings were assessed using this methodology, and the results were analysed using an integrated Geographical Information System tool. The integration of the vulnerability and loss results could allow city councils or regional authorities to plan interventions based on a global view of the site under analysis, leading to more accurate and comprehensive risk mitigation strategies that support the requirements of safety and emergency planning.     

Simplified non-linear seismic displacement demand prediction for low period structures

The prediction of non-linear seismic demand using linear elastic behavior for the determination of peak non-linear response is widely used for seismic design as well as for vulnerability assessment. Existing methods use either linear response based on initial period and damping ratio, eventually corrected with factors, or linear response based on increased equivalent period and damping ratio. Improvements to the original EC8 procedure for displacement demand prediction are proposed in this study. Both propositions may be graphically approximated, which is a significant advantage for practical application. A comparison with several other methods (equal displacement rule, EC8 procedure, secant stiffness and empirical equivalent period methods) is performed. The study is based on non-linear SDOF systems subjected to recorded earthquakes, modified to match design response spectra of different ground types, and focuses on the low frequency range that is of interest for most European buildings. All results are represented in the spectral displacement/fundamental period plane that highlights the predominant effect of the fundamental period on the displacement demand. This study shows that linearized methods perform well at low strength reduction factors but may strongly underestimate the displacement demand at strength reduction factors greater than 2. This underestimation is an important issue, especially for assessment of existing buildings, which are often related with low lateral strength. In such cases, the corresponding strength reduction factors are therefore much larger than 2. The new proposals significantly improve the reliability of displacement demand prediction for values of strength reduction factors greater than 2 compared to the original EC8 procedure. As a consequence, for the seismic assessment of existing structures, such as unreinforced masonry low-rise buildings, the current procedure of EC8 should be modified in order to provide accurate predictions of the displacement demand in the domain of the response spectrum plateau.     

川南地区砖混结构房屋典型震害及地震易损性研究

以川南地区为研究区,并以在建造方式上具有明显当地地域特征的砖混结构房屋为研究对象,结合砖混结构房屋建造特点及川南历史地震(如长宁6.0级地震)震害调查结果等,分析砖混结构房屋典型震害特征,统计其在不同烈度下不同破坏等级的比例,采用经验分析法得到初步的易损性矩阵。在此基础上,针对因样本局限性造成的结构在高烈度下破坏比例不全,使实际易损性矩阵缺失的问题,通过插值法,推算高烈度下的破坏比例,补全经验易损性矩阵,拟合出易损性曲线,建立以震害统计为主、数值模拟为辅的砖混结构易损性分析模型;并基于平均震害指数对比分析,对易损性分析的可靠性进行检验。结果表明,构建的易损性矩阵能客观反映川南地区砖混结构房屋的抗震能力,对开展震害预测、灾害损失评估及震害风险评估等工作具有实际应用价值。     

Performance-based methodology for assessing seismic vulnerability and capacity of buildings

This paper presents a performance-based methodology for the assessment of seismic vulnerability and capacity of buildings. The vulnerability assessment methodology is based on the HAZUS methodology and the improved capacity- demand-diagram method. The spectral displacement (Sd) of performance points on a capacity curve is used to estimate the damage level of a building. The relationship between Sd and peak ground acceleration (PGA) is established, and then a new vulnerability function is expressed in terms of PGA. Furthermore, the expected value of the seismic capacity index (SCev) is provided to estimate the seismic capacity of buildings based on the probability distribution of damage levels and the corresponding seismic capacity index. The results indicate that the proposed vulnerability methodology is able to assess seismic damage of a large number of building stock directly and quickly following an earthquake. The SCev provides an effective index to measure the seismic capacity of buildings and illustrate the relationship between the seismic capacity of buildings and seismic action. The estimated result is compared with damage surveys of the cities of Dujiangyan and Jiangyou in the M8.0 Wenchuan earthquake, revealing that the methodology is acceptable for seismic risk assessment and decision making. The primary reasons for discrepancies between the estimated results and the damage surveys are discussed.     

Evaluation of displacement‐based vulnerability assessment methodology using observed damage data from Christchurch

On 22 February 2011, Christchurch City experienced a destructive magnitude (Mw) 6.2 aftershock following the main event of magnitude (Mw) 7.1 on the 4 September 2010. Severe damage was inflicted on the building stock, particularly within the central business district (CBD) of Christchurch. The strong motion stations around the CBD region and extensive building damage survey information from the Christchurch City Council provided a unique opportunity to calibrate a theoretical regional vulnerability assessment model developed and refined to be applicable for New Zealand (NZ) buildings. In this study, data from the building safety evaluation survey conducted by Christchurch City Council are synthesised and processed to extract details on building typologies in the CBD region and the colour tagging assigned to each building depending on the degree of damage. A displacement‐based framework is used to carry out vulnerability assessment for Christchurch buildings to estimate damage sustained under the recorded ground motions in the February event. As the damage survey indicators were ‘colour tags’, a mapping scheme has been explored to link the observed colour tagging damage statistics with ‘drift‐based damage limit states’ adopted in the theoretical approach. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to calibrate the mapping scheme, which can provide estimates of proportions of buildings likely to fall in different colour regimes when used in conjunction with the proposed vulnerability assessment methodology. It is shown that the methodology is reasonably robust, thereby increasing the confidence in using this approach to predict seismic vulnerability of building stock in NZ. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

汶川地区震后钢筋混凝土框架结构的地震易损性研究

以汶川地震为研究背景,针对震后典型钢筋混凝土框架结构进行地震易损性研究。基于Cornell理论框架结合汶川地质资料,拟合出考虑场地特点的地震危险性模型,同时定义损伤水平状态及限值指标,以概率解析易损性研究方法为基础,运用考虑地震动参数的解析易损性评估方法绘制汶川地区钢筋混凝土框架建筑的地震易损性曲线。研究结果表明:考虑地震动参数的概率解析易损性研究方法是一种有效的地震易损性评估方法;以PGA作为地震强度输入指标的结构反应,随自振周期的增大体系最大响应的相关性降低,结构各个损伤状态的失效概率均随之增大。     

损失分布和非结构损失对房屋建筑地易损性的影响

房屋建筑的地震易损性是地震损失评估和地震巨灾风险模型的基础。作为房屋建筑的重要组成部分,各类非结构构件的损失在现有的易损性模型中并未得到足够重视。本文以一栋典型钢筋混凝土框架结构教学楼为对象,通过将房屋建筑中的各类构件划分为具有不同地震损伤特性和损失后果的易损性组,考察建筑内的损失分布和非结构损失对房屋建筑地震易损性的影响。分析结果表明:由于许多非结构构件在中小地震作用下即可能发生较严重的破坏,房屋建筑在中小地震下的易损性主要受非结构损失控制;随着地震动强度等级的不断提高,结构损伤渐趋严重,结构损失对整体建筑易损性的影响不断增大;在结构进入震后不可修状态之前,建筑不同楼层的损失分布是评估建筑地震损失时不可忽略的因素。     

Development and assessment of damage‐to‐loss models for moment‐frame reinforced concrete buildings

The assessment of earthquake loss often requires the definition of a relation between a measure of damage and a quantity of loss, usually achieved through the employment of a damage‐to‐loss model. These models are frequently characterized by a large variability, which inevitably increases the uncertainty in the vulnerability assessment and earthquake loss estimation. This study provides an insight on the development of damage‐to‐loss functions for moment‐frame reinforced concrete buildings through an analytical methodology. Tri‐dimensional finite element models of existing reinforced concrete buildings were subjected to a number of ground motion records compatible with the seismicity in the region of interest, through nonlinear dynamic analysis. These results were used to assess, for a number of damage states, the probability distribution of loss ratio, taking into consideration member damage and different repair techniques, as well as to derive sets of fragility functions. Then, a vulnerability model (in terms of the ratio of cost of repair to cost of replacement, conditional on the level of ground shaking intensity) was derived and compared with the vulnerability functions obtained through the combination of various damage‐to‐loss models with the set of fragility functions developed herein. In order to provide realistic estimates of economic losses due to seismic action, a comprehensive study on repair costs using current Portuguese market values was also carried out. The results of this study highlight important issues in the derivation of vulnerability functions, which are a fundamental component for an adequate seismic risk assessment. © 2015 The Authors. Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

城市典型建筑的地震损失预测方法I：结构易损性分析

地震作用下结构的易损性分析是地震灾害损失预测方法的重要组成部分。本文针对多层砌体房屋结构、排架结构和多层钢筋混凝土结构等3种城市典型建筑，首先给出了该类单体建筑的地震结构易损性分析方法，然后对群体建筑的地震易损性分析方法，以及群体建筑的易损性分类方法进行了探讨，为城市典型建筑的地震灾害损失预测和评估提供参考，并为宁波市抗震防灾规划的地震损失预测提供基础。     

Seismic displacement demand prediction in non-linear domain: Optimization of the N2 method

In Europe, computation of displacement demand for seismic assessment of existing buildings is essentially based on a simplified formulation of the N2 method as prescribed by Eurocode 8(EC8). However, a lack of accuracy of the N2 method in certain conditions has been pointed out by several studies. This paper addresses the assessment of effectiveness of the N2 method in seismic displacement demand determination in non-linear domain. The objective of this work is to investigate the accuracy of the N2 method through comparison with displacement demands computed using non-linear timehistory analysis(NLTHA). Results show that the original N2 method may lead to overestimation or underestimation of displacement demand predictions. This may affect results of mechanical model-based assessment of seismic vulnerability at an urban scale. Hence, the second part of this paper addresses an improvement of the N2 method formula by empirical evaluation of NLTHA results based on EC8 ground-classes. This task is formulated as a mathematical programming problem in which coefficients are obtained by minimizing the overall discrepancy between NLTHA and modified formula results. Various settings of the mathematical programming problem have been solved using a global optimization metaheuristic. An extensive comparison between the original N2 method formulation and optimized formulae highlights benefits of the strategy.     

城市典型建筑的地震损失预测方法Ⅰ: 结构易损性分析

地震作用下结构的易损性分析是地震灾害损失预测方法的重要组成部分。本文针对多层砌体房屋结构、排架结构和多层钢筋混凝土结构等3种城市典型建筑,首先给出了该类单体建筑的地震结构易损性分析方法,然后对群体建筑的地震易损性分析方法,以及群体建筑的易损性分类方法进行了探讨,为城市典型建筑的地震灾害损失预测和评估提供参考,并为宁波市抗震防灾规划的地震损失预测提供基础。     

Development of seismic fragility curves for low-rise masonry infilled reinforced concrete buildings by a coefficient-based method

This study presents a seismic fragility analysis and ultimate spectral displacement assessment of regular low-rise masonry infilled (MI) reinforced concrete (RC) buildings using a coefficient-based method. The coefficient-based method does not require a complicated finite element analysis; instead, it is a simplified procedure for assessing the spectral acceleration and displacement of buildings subjected to earthquakes. A regression analysis was first performed to obtain the best-fitting equations for the inter-story drift ratio (IDR) and period shift factor of low-rise MI RC buildings in response to the peak ground acceleration of earthquakes using published results obtained from shaking table tests. Both spectral acceleration-and spectral displacement-based fragility curves under various damage states (in terms of IDR) were then constructed using the coefficient-based method. Finally, the spectral displacements of low-rise MI RC buildings at the ultimate (or near-collapse) state obtained from this paper and the literature were compared. The simulation results indicate that the fragility curves obtained from this study and other previous work correspond well. Furthermore, most of the spectral displacements of low-rise MI RC buildings at the ultimate state from the literature fall within the bounded spectral displacements predicted by the coefficient-based method.     

A simplified approach for vulnerability assessment in moderate-to-low seismic hazard regions: application to Grenoble (France)

Due to the moderate seismic risks in France, the building vulnerability assessment methods developed for high seismic risk countries could not easily be used here because of their cost and the low-risk perception among the public and officials. A light vulnerability assessment method is proposed and tested in Grenoble (France), based on classes and scores provided in the GNDT method but simplified in terms of visual screening and number of structural parameters used. Compared to the RiskUE method, the damage obtained by our approach shows that 90% of buildings have residuals smaller than 0.2, i.e. one grade of the EMS98 damage scale. A large scale survey is devised and conducted among the inhabitants of Grenoble in order to collect the main structural parameters. By comparing the results from the survey to the historical urbanization of Grenoble and to expert surveys performed in two urban districts, the information useful for the light method of vulnerability assessment can be rapidly collected by non-experts reducing substantially the estimate cost. The average damage is then computed using the GNDT formula considering the probable intensities which could be observed in Grenoble (VII and VIII). The average damage reaches 0.4 in the oldest part of Grenoble mainly made of masonry buildings and 0.2 in reinforced concrete suburbs where reinforced concrete predominates. The results are a relative vulnerability assessment that provides useful initial information for the urban zones of Grenoble where the vulnerability is higher. This method can be used to classify the seismic vulnerability in wide seismic-prone regions to a fair degree of accuracy and at low cost.     

Estimating building exposure and impact to volcanic hazards in Icod de los Vinos,Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Principal and subsidiary building structure characteristics and their distribution have been inventoried in Icod, Tenerife (Canary Islands) and used to evaluate the vulnerability of individual buildings to three volcanic hazards: tephra fallout, volcanogenic earthquakes and pyroclastic flows. The procedures described in this paper represent a methodological framework for a comprehensive survey of all the buildings at risk in the area around the Teide volcano in Tenerife. Such a methodology would need to be implemented for the completion of a comprehensive risk assessment for the populations under threat of explosive eruptions in this area. The information presented in the paper is a sample of the necessary data required for the impact estimation and risk assessment exercises that would need to be carried out by emergency managers, local authorities and those responsible for recovery and repair in the event of a volcanic eruption. The data shows there are micro variations in building stock characteristics that would influence the likely impact of an eruption in the area. As an example of the use of this methodology for vulnerability assessment, we have applied a deterministic simulation model of a volcanic eruption from Teide volcano and its associated ash fallout which, when combined with the vulnerability data collected, allows us to obtain the vulnerability map of the studied area. This map is obtained by performing spatial analysis with a Geographical Information System (GIS). This vulnerability analysis is included in the framework of an automatic information system specifically developed for hazard assessment and risk management on Tenerife, but which can be also applied to other volcanic areas. The work presented is part of the EU-funded EXPLORIS project (Explosive Eruption Risk and Decision Support for EU Populations Threatened by Volcanoes, EVR1-2001-00047).     

Comparison between seismic vulnerability models and experimental dynamic properties of existing buildings in France

Elastic fundamental frequency is a key-parameter of simplified seismic design and vulnerability assessment methods. Empirical relationships exist in codes to estimate this frequency but they miss experimental data to validate them accounting for national feature of building design and, above all, corresponding uncertainties. Even if resonance frequency extracted from ambient vibrations may be larger than the elastic frequency (at yield) generally used in earthquake engineering, ambient vibration recordings may provide a large set of data for statistical analysis of periods versus building characteristics relationships. We recorded ambient vibrations and estimated the fundamental frequency of about 60 buildings of various types (RC and masonry) in Grenoble City (France). These data complete the set existing yet, made of 26 RC-buildings of Grenoble (Farsi and Bard 2004) and 28 buildings in Nice (France) (Dunand 2005). Statistical analysis of these experimental data was performed for fundamental frequencies of RC shear wall structures and the results are compared with existing relationships. Only building height or number of stories has a statistical relevancy to estimate the resonance frequency but the variability associated to the proposed relationships is large. Moreover, we compared the elastic part of capacity curves of RC and masonry buildings used in the European Risk-UE method for vulnerability assessment with the experimental frequencies. The variability is also large and the curves may not be consistent with French existing buildings.     

Damage‐dependent vulnerability curves for existing buildings

Seismic behavior of damaged buildings may be expressed as a function of their REsidual Capacity (REC), which is a measure of seismic capacity, reduced by damage. REC can be interpreted as the median value of collapse vulnerability curves. Its variation owing to damage is a useful indication of increased building vulnerability. REC reduction, indicating the lowering of seismic safety after an earthquake (performance loss, PL), represents an effective index for assessing the need of seismic repair/strengthening after earthquakes. The study investigates the applicability of a pushover‐based method in the analysis of damaged structures for the case of existing under‐designed RC buildings. The paper presents a systematization of the procedure in an assessment framework that applies the capacity spectrum method based on inelastic demand spectra; furthermore, the vulnerability variation of a real building is investigated with a detailed case study. The behavior of damaged buildings is simulated with pushover analysis through suitable modification of plastic hinges (in terms of stiffness, strength and residual drift) for damaged elements. The modification of plastic hinges has been calibrated in tests on nonconforming columns. The case study analysis evidenced that, for minor or moderate damages, the original structural displacement capacity was only slightly influenced, but the ductility capacity was significantly reduced (up to 40%) because of the increased structure deformability. This implied performance loss in the range 10%–20%. For severe damages the PL ranged between 41% and 56%. Local mechanism types exhibit PL nearly double with respect to global mechanism types. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A hybrid method for the vulnerability assessment of R/C and URM buildings

The methodology followed by the Aristotle University (AUTh) team for the vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete (R/C) and unreinforced masonry (URM) structures is presented. The paper focuses on the derivation of vulnerability (fragility) curves in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA), as well as spectral displacement (s _d), and also includes the estimation of capacity curves, for several R/C and URM building types. The vulnerability assessment methodology is based on the hybrid approach developed at AUTh, which combines statistical data with appropriately processed (utilising repair cost models) results from nonlinear dynamic or static analyses, that permit extrapolation of statistical data to PGA’s and/or spectral displacements for which no data are available. The statistical data used herein are from earthquake-damaged greek buildings. An extensive numerical study is carried out, wherein a large number of building types (representing most of the common typologies in S. Europe) are modelled and analysed. Vulnerability curves for several damage states are then derived using the aforementioned hybrid approach. These curves are subsequently used in combination with the mean spectrum of the Microzonation study of Thessaloniki as the basis for the derivation of new vulnerability curves involving spectral quantities. Pushover curves are derived for all building types, then reduced to standard capacity curves, and can easily be used together with the S _d fragility curves as an alternative for developing seismic risk scenarios.     

Observed and predicted earthquake damage scenarios: the case study of Pettino (L’Aquila) after the 6th April 2009 event

A damage scenario based on observational data collected in L’Aquila Municipality after the 6th April 2009 earthquake is compared with a predicted damage scenario derived from the application of a simplified analytical method for seismic vulnerability assessment of Reinforced Concrete (RC) buildings at large scale. The observational damage scenario is derived from a database of 131 RC buildings located in the Municipality of L’Aquila, which after the 2009 earthquake were subjected to post-earthquake usability assessment procedure. The simplified analytical approach adopted is based on the Capacity Spectrum Method to evaluate seismic capacity at different Damage States (DSs) based on the displacement capacity of structural and non-structural elements. DSs and the corresponding displacement capacity are defined through the interpretation of the observational-based DSs provided by the European Macroseismic Scale EMS-98. Data predicted by the adopted methodology are in good agreement with the observed damage distribution. The observed damage scenario is also compared with predicted scenarios derived from other methodologies from literature.     

Seismic vulnerability assessment based on typological characteristics. The first level procedure “SAVE”

In this paper a procedure is described for quick seismic vulnerability assessment according to the EMS 98 classification. The criteria adopted by Ems 98 to assign the typological classes are mainly based on the vertical structure type. The proposed methodology aims to reduce the uncertainty in the class assessment using a set of parameters, related to typological features, that are identified as modifiers of the vulnerability level. The paper shows how the weight of each of these parameters is evaluated through the analysis of the seismic damages recorded during past earthquakes. A synthetic damage parameter is then defined in order to compare the seismic response of different sets of buildings under the same seismic intensity. Finally, the vulnerability assessment obtained on a set of buildings by the application of the methodology is compared with expert evaluations derived from the direct inspections on buildings.     

An inventory of buildings in the city of Tunis and an assessment of their vulnerability

Tunis is a densely populated city. Its building stock was constructed without any seismic design code and mostly over soft soils. These facts make a seismic risk assessment of the city necessary. To prepare a large-scale vulnerability assessment of the buildings of Tunis, the following methodology was employed: (1) a collection of data based on a rapid visual screening procedure was gathered using an inventory form. These data were composed of files and information placed at the disposal of the authors by the municipality of Tunis. The data also contained information gathered by surveys carried out by engineering departments and information gathered from building owners. (2) A classification of building typologies was carried out considering construction material, structural system, age, height, function and state of maintenance. A measure of seismic vulnerability was assigned to each typology considering the first two parameters. (3) A large-scale vulnerability assessment using two methods was conducted for buildings for which few data were available. Vulnerability methods inspired by the EMS98 concepts and the Italian GNDT concepts were modified and applied to pilot-scale buildings located in the downtown zone (Habib Bourguiba Avenue) and in the old zone (Medina). The data analysis, through the application of the two methods, suggests that the vulnerability of buildings surveyed in Tunis is significant and risk mitigation efforts are necessary.