Earthquake Risk Reduction

Encompassing theory and field experience, this book covers all the main subject areas in earthquake risk reduction, ranging from geology, seismology, structural and soil dynamics to hazard and risk assessment, risk management and planning, engineering and the architectural design of new structures and equipment. Earthquake Risk Reduction outlines individual national weaknesses that contribute to earthquake risk to people and property; calculates the seismic response of soils and structures, using the structural continuum 'Subsoil - Substructure - Superstructure - Non-structure'; evaluates the effectiveness of given designs and construction procedures for reducing casualties and financial losses; provides guidance on the key issue of choice of structural form; presents earthquake resistant designs methods for the four main structural materials - steel, concrete, reinforced masonry and timber - as well as for services equipment, plant and non-structural architectural components; contains a chapter devoted to problems involved in improving (retrofitting) the existing built environment. Compiled from the author's extensive professional experience in earthquake engineering, this key text provides an excellent treatment of the complex multidisciplinary process of earthquake risk reduction. This book will prove an invaluable reference and guiding tool to practicing civil and structural engineers and architects, researchers and postgraduate students in seismology, local governments and risk management officials.

In 1998 Armenia was commemorating the tenth anniversary of the catastrophic Spitak earthquake. The Second International Conference on "Earthquake Hazard and Seismic Risk Reduction" sponsored by the Government of the Republic of Armenia and United Nation's International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (UN/IDNDR) was held in dedication to that event between 14-21 September (later referred to as Yerevan Conference). The Yerevan Conference has been organized by the National Survey for Seismic Protection (NSSP) of the Republic of Armenia. All level's decision-makers (from the ministers to the local authorities), politicians, scientists, leaders of the executive and legislative powers, psychologists, leading businessmen, representatives from the private sector and the media as well as from the International Organizations have been invited by the Armenian NSSP to take part in joint discussion of the Seismic Risk Reduction Problem for the first time in the history of such forums. Armenian NSSP's such initiative has been triggered by the experience of the Spitak earthquake and other disasters. They showed that it will be possible to reduce the risks, posed by the natural disaster, only through the common efforts of all the community in co-operation with the International institutions.

This book explores practices and approaches on pre-disaster prevention and post-disaster reconstruction for vulnerable countries and areas enhancing earthquake disaster resilience. Destructive earthquakes have frequently occurred in urban or rural areas around the world, causing severe damage on human societies. Pre-earthquake prevention and post-earthquake reconstruction effect the disaster resilience building and long-term development of the affected communities and areas. In recent years, researchers from around the world have made a lot of efforts to study on the theme ‘earthquake disaster prevention and reconstruction’. The chapters in this edited volume contribute to the literature of earthquake disaster research from scientific, social and institutional aspects. These interdisciplinary studies mainly focus on human and policy dimensions of earthquake disaster, such as earthquake risk mitigation, social-physical resilience building, resilience capability assessment, healthcare surge capacity, house reconstruction, the roles of schools, households, civil societies and public participation in earthquake disaster prevention and reconstruction. The authors come from several counties, including China, Bangladesh, Iran, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Indonesia, covering the cases from those countries prone to earthquakes. These nine distinctive chapters have been elaborately selected and integrated from the international, ranked, peer-reviewed journal, Environmental Hazards.

This book addresses earthquakes, with a special focus on the Ghorka earthquake, which struck parts of central Nepal in April 2015. Drawing on this disastrous event, it closely examines various aspects of earthquakes in contributions prepared by international experts. The topics covered include: the geological and geophysical background of seismicity; a detailed inventory of the damage done by the earthquake; effective damage prevention through earthquake-safe buildings and settlements; restoration options for world-heritage buildings; strategies for providing technical and medical relief and, lastly, questions associated with public life and economy in a high-risk seismic zone. Combining perspectives from various fields, the book presents the state of the art in all earthquake-related fields and outlines future approaches to risk identification, damage prevention, and disaster management in all parts of society, administration, and politics in Nepal. Beyond the specific disaster in Nepal, the findings presented here will have broader implications for how societies can best deal with disasters.

Earthquakes have caused massive death and destruction, and potentially damaging earthquakes are certain to occur in the future. Although earthquakes are uncontrollable, the losses they cause can be reduced by building structures that resist earthquake damage, matching land use to risk, developing emergency response plans, and other means. Since 1977, the federal government has had a research oriented program to reduce earthquake losses the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). This program has made significant contributions toward improving our understanding of earthquakes and strategies to reduce their impact. Implementing action based on this understanding, however, has been quite difficult. This chapter provides an introduction to earthquakes: a sum mary of the earthquake hazard across the United States, a review of the types of losses earthquakes cause, a discussion of why earthquakes are a congressional concern, and an introduction to mitigation actions taken prior to earthquakes that can reduce losses when they occur. The federal policy response to date, NEHRP is then described and reviewed. Finally, specific policy options for improving federal efforts to reduce future earthquake losses are presented.

Earthquake Resistant Design and Risk Reduction, 2nd edition is based upon global research and development work over the last 50 years or more, and follows the author’s series of three books Earthquake Resistant Design, 1st and 2nd editions (1977 and 1987), and Earthquake Risk Reduction (2003). Many advances have been made since the 2003 edition of Earthquake Risk Reduction, and there is every sign that this rate of progress will continue apace in the years to come. Compiled from the author’s wide design and research experience in earthquake engineering and engineering seismology, this key text provides an excellent treatment of the complex multidisciplinary process of earthquake resistant design and risk reduction. New topics include the creation of low-damage structures and the spatial distribution of ground shaking near large fault ruptures. Sections on guidance for developing countries, response of buildings to differential settlement in liquefaction, performance-based and displacement-based design and the architectural aspects of earthquake resistant design are heavily revised. This book: Outlines individual national weaknesses that contribute to earthquake risk to people and property Calculates the seismic response of soils and structures, using the structural continuum “Subsoil – Substructure – Superstructure – Non–structure” Evaluates the effectiveness of given design and construction procedures for reducing casualties and financial losses Provides guidance on the key issue of choice of structural form Presents earthquake resistant design methods for the main four structural materials – steel, concrete, reinforced masonry and timber – as well as for services equipment, plant and non-structural architectural components Contains a chapter devoted to problems involved in improving (retrofitting) the existing built environment This book is an invaluable reference and guiding tool to practising civil and structural engineers and architects, researchers and postgraduate students in earthquake engineering and engineering seismology, local governments and risk management officials.

Explains the sources of nonstructural earthquake damage in simple terms, and provides information on effective methods of reducing the potential risks. Intended for a lay audience: building owners, facilities managers, maintenance personnel, store or office managers, corporate/agency department heads, business proprietors, homeowners. Covers: building utility systems (batteries, piping, chillers); architectural elements (stairways, windows, exterior signs); and furniture and contents (library stacks, artwork, stoves, cabinets, etc.). Drawings and photos. Glossary and bibliography.