Earthquake Science And Seismic Risk Reduction

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.

Earthquakes affecting urban areas can lead to catastrophic situations and hazard mitigation requires preparatory measures at all levels. Structural assessment is the diagnosis of the seismic health of buildings. Assessment is the prelude to decisions about rehabilitation or even demolition. The scale of the problem in dense urban settings brings about a need for macro seismic appraisal procedures because large numbers of existing buildings do not conform to the increased requirements of new earthquake codes and specifications or have other deficiencies. It is the vulnerable buildings - liable to cause damage and loss of life - that need immediate attention and urgent appraisal in order to decide if structural rehabilitation and upgrading are feasible. Current economic, efficient and occupant-friendly rehabilitation techniques vary widely and include the application either of precast concrete panels or layers, strips and patches of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) in strategic locations. The papers in this book, many by renowned authorities in earthquake engineering, chart new and vital directions of research and application in the assessment and rehabilitation of buildings in seismic regions. While several papers discuss the probabilistic prediction and quantification of structural damage, others present approaches related with the in-situ and occupant friendly upgrading of buildings and propose both economical and practical techniques to address the problem.

Earthquake Hazard, Risk, and Disasters presents the latest scientific developments and reviews of research addressing seismic hazard and seismic risk, including causality rates, impacts on society, preparedness, insurance and mitigation. The current controversies in seismic hazard assessment and earthquake prediction are addressed from different points of view. Basic tools for understanding the seismic risk and to reduce it, like paleoseismology, remote sensing, and engineering are discussed. Contains contributions from expert seismologists, geologists, engineers and geophysicists selected by a world-renowned editorial board Presents the latest research on seismic hazard and risk assessment, economic impacts, fatality rates, and earthquake preparedness and mitigation Includes numerous illustrations, maps, diagrams and tables addressing earthquake risk reduction Features new insights and reviews of earthquake prediction, forecasting and early warning, as well as basic tools to deal with earthquake risk

This book can be used as a reference by both specialists (e.g., seismologists, earthquake engineers, and physicists) and related professionals (e.g., government officials, land use planners). Scientific issues (the physics of earthquake occurrence and implications for predictability), applications (procedures for time-independent hazard estimates, and time-dependent forecasts solidly grounded on recent progress in earthquake physics, as well as unresolved scientific questions pertaining to such estimates), and policy issues (practical measures for seismic risk reduction in Greece and Turkey, and how governments should view earthquake prediction) are comprehensively covered. Each of the eight chapters is followed by a thorough set of references to recent literature. CD-ROM with color figures is included.

The NATO Science for Peace Project SfP-980468 Harmonization of Seismic Hazard and Risk Reduction in Countries Influenced by Vrancea Earthquakes was an ambitious attempt to harmonize the seismic-hazard assessment in Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania, and provide the guidelines for seismic risk reduction in the target countries. Related to the study of intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes, it became operational in 2005. The project co-coordinators were as follows: • Prof. Güney Özcebe, Ankara, Turkey; • Dr. Anton Zaicenco, Chisinau, Moldova; • Dr. Iolanda Craifaleanu, Bucharest, Romania; • Prof. Ivanka Paskaleva, Sofia, Bulgaria. The project has brought together leading research personalities in the area of earthquake engineering, seismology and earth physics from several countries for brainstorming sessions, informal discussions, and exchanges of ideas. One of its key components was an upgrade of the strong-motion seismic networks of the countries-participants, which created a foundation for a long-term collaboration. A number of papers have been published as a result of the work conducted under this project. The present book contains the Proceedings of the Closing Workshop for Project SfP-980468, which was organized in Chisinau, Moldova on May 20, 2008. From hazard analyses to protection of the historical buildings, from study of the dynamic properties of the soft soils to paleoseismology, there are few areas of interest that remain untouched. Research from the NATO members and partner countries in South-Eastern Europe that forms the components of NATO Project SfP-980468 has made solid contributions to the Workshop theme.

* Multidisciplinary approach of risk assessment and management, which can provide more efficient earthquake mitigation. * Transfer of Geo-scientific and engineering knowledge to Civil Protection and insurance agents * Approaches and common practices directly related to the preparation of earthquake emergency plans * Illustrated examples of actual applications, including web sites * Case-studies and information on relevant international projects

This book is devoted to diverse aspects of earthquake researches, especially to new achievements in seismicity that involves geosciences, assessment, and mitigation. Chapters contain advanced materials of detailed engineering investigations, which can help more clearly appreciate, predict, and manage different earthquake processes. Different research themes for diverse areas in the world are developed here, highlighting new methods of studies that lead to new results and models, which could be helpful for the earthquake risk. The presented and developed themes mainly concern wave's characterization and decomposition, recent seismic activity, assessment-mitigation, and engineering techniques. The book provides the state of the art on recent progress in earthquake engineering and management. The obtained results show a scientific progress that has an international scope and, consequently, should open perspectives to other still unresolved interesting aspects.