Early, pre-code, reinforced concrete structures present undetermined resistance to earthquakes. This situation is particularly unacceptable in the case of essential facilities, such as healthcare structures. Amongst these, the Santa Maria Hospital – finished in 1953 with a total area of 120,000 m – in Lisbon, was designed without explicit consideration for earthquake loading. Given the crucial ...

In current research quantifying loss potentials for German city regions basic tools for GIS-based seismic risk assessment technologies have been developed and applied to the building stock and regional particularities of German earthquake regions. Different study areas with comparable levels of seismic hazards were investigated, but they had varying numbers of inhabitants and degrees of urbaniz...

Considering the effects of earthquakes occurred during the last 15 years, this article focusses on finding solutions to minimize the human and economic losses. Several methodologies were developed in order to assess the vulnerability of the built environment with special reference to one of the most suitable structural systems in seismic areas for dwellings, offices or other functionalities, wh...

Abstract A general methodology to evaluate vulnerability functions suitable for a probabilistic global risk assessment is proposed. The methodology is partially based in the methodological approach of the Multihazard Loss Estimation Methodology (Hazus) developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The vulnerability assessment process considers the resolution, information and limi...

Damage due to earthquake is commonly related to substantial direct and indirect losses, highlighting the need for damage detection and retrofit prioritization based on the results of the seismic risk assessment of the road network. In this context, numerous methodologies have been developed for the seismic vulnerability assessment of bridges for different levels of seismic hazard using fragilit...

Despite the utilization of several earthquake resistant traditional techniques in Iranian architecture throughout the centuries, the high seismic vulnerability of Iranian vernacular constructions is obvious. One of the latest innovations in building earthquake-proof emergency dwellings, prior to introducing the modern seismic design codes, took place during the successive destructive earthqu...

Quantitative and qualitative monitoring and evaluation of risk management programs will play an important role in the development of Tehran metropolitan railway transport. Considering the tectonic studies, seismic zones, land degradation and faults in north and south of Tehran, the development of underground railway lines, the assessment of the vulnerability of subway stations and the escalatio...

A lot of field investigations for damage to buildings are carried out after large earthquakes. In concordance with the variety of investigations, the building damage descriptions are really incoherent because a well-coordinated damage scale has not been prepared yet. This paper proposed a new chart for describing the building damage patterns by seismic vulnerability so as to help investigators ...

AbstractStructural assessment and seismic vulnerability of ancient masonry buildings is a difficult task even when employing advanced specialized technical skills, which requires complex study. T...