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Seismic Vulnerability Assessment at Urban Scale
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Seismic Vulnerability Assessment at Urban Scale

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 26106

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Romeu da Silva Vicente

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
RISCO - Risks and Sustainability in Construction, Civil Engineering Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: advanced building physics; building technology; innovative building solutions and components; material testing; building simulation; sustainable construction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Sergio Lagomarsino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genoa, Via Montallegro 1, 16145 Genoa, Italy
Interests: masonry buildings; assessment of existing structures; preservation of historical structures; nonlinear modeling; seismic risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tiago Miguel Ferreira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of the West of England-UWE Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
Interests: multi-hazard risk analysis; risk and vulnerability reduction; seismic vulnerability; seismic rehabilitation and retrofit; urban resilience; disaster response and reconstruction; geographic information systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Serena Cattari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Professor, Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Genova, Via Montallegro 1, 16145 Genova, Italy
Interests: masonry existing buildings; numerical modelling; seismic risk; structural monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past years, there has been increasing concern among the international community about the effects of natural hazards in urban areas, whose impacts are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more widespread. In order to tackle this global issue, it is fundamental to engage and develop fundamental and applied research that can lead to more efficient urban practices and policy making, based on a thorough understanding of all of the components that constitute urban systems and that contribute to their resilience.

In light of the above, this Special Issue focuses on the seismic vulnerability assessment at an urban scale, aiming at disseminating knowledge and new perspectives on the assessment and mitigation of seismic risk and vulnerability in urban areas, which play an important role in the seismic vulnerability assessment and consequent safeguarding of a society’s built heritage in seismic-prone regions.

We particularly welcome contributions dealing with the development, validation, and practical implementation of methods and tools for assessing, managing, and mitigating the seismic vulnerability of all types of building stock (from traditional masonry to concrete frame or mixed typology buildings) at an urban scale.

Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the following:

Methods and tools for seismic vulnerability assessment: The development of different approaches to deal with the vulnerability assessment, for example, based on statistical approaches, damage observation, analytical formulation, and so on.

Seismic vulnerability and risk assessment case studies: The development of a framework for a comprehensive database and guidance tool for the local authorities responsible for rehabilitation and renewal in urban areas; the integration of this database within a GIS environment for risk management on an urban scale;  the rapid creation of earthquake scenarios validated by decision makers and technicians for urban areas, enabling the estimation and forecasting of direct and indirect consequences of their economic and physical impacts.

Resilience and urban management: Conceptual understanding and multi-disciplinary perspectives; the definition of global resilience factors; integrated monitoring/representation systems, and surveying and diagnosis tools for structural assessment.

Risk assessment and emergency planning: Disaster risk response and communication actions, and emergency and post-event planning tools based on seismic vulnerability. 

Cost/benefit analysis of retrofitting and strengthening: case studies with the practical application of exposing the methodologies that discuss the trade-off of intervention and retrofitting actions and safeguarding of urban cultural assets.

Communication and dissemination: Sharing and educating local communities, effective advice and adaptation policies of government and/or societal organizations, emergency response and plans, and community engagement and participation.

Dr. Romeu da Silva Vicente
Dr. Sergio Lagomarsino
Dr. Tiago Miguel Ferreira
Dr. Serena Cattari
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Seismic vulnerability methods
  • Urban resilience
  • Damage and loss scenarios
  • Risk assessment and mitigation
  • Adaptive capacity
  • Cost/benefit analysis
  • Disaster response

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 7607 KiB  
Article
Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings in Urban Centers
by Tiago Miguel Ferreira, Hugo Rodrigues and Romeu Vicente
Sustainability 2020, 12(5), 1996; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12051996 - 05 Mar 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3854
Abstract
Despite the recent advances in the analysis of the seismic performance of reinforced concrete structures, the assessment of large building inventories aimed at defining and prioritizing structural retrofitting strategies is still a technically challenging task. This paper aims to contribute to bridging this [...] Read more.
Despite the recent advances in the analysis of the seismic performance of reinforced concrete structures, the assessment of large building inventories aimed at defining and prioritizing structural retrofitting strategies is still a technically challenging task. This paper aims to contribute to bridging this gap by presenting a simplified methodology for assessing the seismic vulnerability of reinforced concrete buildings, which is then applied to a group of 91 buildings affected by recent earthquakes with different macroseismic intensities. The presented methodology is based on the evaluation of eight parameters associated with different factors that affect the seismic response of the building, namely its structural features, foundation conditions, and position within the urban mesh. The formulation of each parameter and the relative weight attributed to each one of them were defined on the basis of post-earthquake damage observation and expert opinion. After defined, the proposed methodology is applied to Faro city center. Based on the results obtained, a cost benefit analysis is made considering a strengthening solution to the buildings with soft-story irregularity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismic Vulnerability Assessment at Urban Scale)
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24 pages, 4015 KiB  
Article
A Contribution to a UHS-Based Seismic Risk Assessment in Croatia—A Case Study for the City of Osijek
by Gordana Pavić, Marijana Hadzima-Nyarko and Borko Bulajić
Sustainability 2020, 12(5), 1796; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12051796 - 27 Feb 2020
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3287
Abstract
Due to increases in the number of inhabitants and their concentrations in densely populated areas, there is a growing need in modern society to be cautious towards the impact of catastrophic natural events. An earthquake is a particularly major example of this. Knowledge [...] Read more.
Due to increases in the number of inhabitants and their concentrations in densely populated areas, there is a growing need in modern society to be cautious towards the impact of catastrophic natural events. An earthquake is a particularly major example of this. Knowledge of the seismic vulnerability of buildings in Europe and around the world has deepened and expanded over the last 20 years, as a result of the many devastating earthquakes. In this study, a review of seismic risk assessment methods in Croatia was presented with respect to the hazard, exposure, and vulnerability of buildings in the fourth largest city (Osijek) in Croatia. The proposed algorithm for a detailed risk assessment was applied to a database and is currently in its initial stage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismic Vulnerability Assessment at Urban Scale)
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21 pages, 7589 KiB  
Article
Seismic Risk Assessment Using Stochastic Nonlinear Models
by Yeudy F. Vargas-Alzate, Nieves Lantada, Ramón González-Drigo and Luis G. Pujades
Sustainability 2020, 12(4), 1308; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12041308 - 11 Feb 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2657
Abstract
The basic input when seismic risk is estimated in urban environments is the expected physical damage level of buildings. The vulnerability index and capacity spectrum-based methods are the tools that have been used most to estimate the probability of occurrence of this important [...] Read more.
The basic input when seismic risk is estimated in urban environments is the expected physical damage level of buildings. The vulnerability index and capacity spectrum-based methods are the tools that have been used most to estimate the probability of occurrence of this important variable. Although both methods provide adequate estimates, they involve simplifications that are no longer necessary, given the current capacity of computers. In this study, an advanced method is developed that avoids many of these simplifications. The method starts from current state-of-the-art approaches, but it incorporates non-linear dynamic analysis and a probabilistic focus. Thus, the method considers not only the nonlinear dynamic response of the structures, modeled as multi degree of freedom systems (MDoF), but also uncertainties related to the loads, the geometry of the buildings, the mechanical properties of the materials and the seismic action. Once the method has been developed, the buildings are subjected to earthquake records that are selected and scaled according to the seismic hazard of the site and considering the probabilistic nature of the seismic actions. The practical applications of the method are illustrated with a case study: framed reinforced concrete buildings that are typical of an important district, the Eixample, in Barcelona (Spain). The building typology and the district were chosen because the seismic risk in Barcelona has been thoroughly studied, so detailed information about buildings’ features, seismic hazard and expected risk is available. Hence, the current results can be compared with those obtained using simpler, less sophisticated methods. The main aspects of the method are presented and discussed first. Then, the case study is described and the results obtained with the capacity spectrum method are compared with the results using the approach presented here. The results at hand show reasonably good agreement with previous seismic damage and risk scenarios in Barcelona, but the new method provides richer, more detailed, more reliable information. This is particularly useful for seismic risk reduction, prevention and management, to move towards more resilient, sustainable cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismic Vulnerability Assessment at Urban Scale)
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21 pages, 15256 KiB  
Article
Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Historic Constructions in the Downtown of Mexico City
by L. Gerardo F. Salazar and Tiago Miguel Ferreira
Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 1276; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12031276 - 10 Feb 2020
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3915
Abstract
Seismic risk is determined by the sum of multiple components produced by a certain seismic intensity, being represented by the seismic hazard, the structural vulnerability and the exposure of assets at a specified zone. Most of the methods and strategies applied to evaluate [...] Read more.
Seismic risk is determined by the sum of multiple components produced by a certain seismic intensity, being represented by the seismic hazard, the structural vulnerability and the exposure of assets at a specified zone. Most of the methods and strategies applied to evaluate the vulnerability of historic constructions are specialized in buildings with higher importance, either public or private, by relegating ordinary dwellings to a second plane. On account of this, this paper aims to present a seismic vulnerability assessment, considering a limited urban area of the Historic Downtown of Mexico City (La Merced Neighborhood), thus showing the analysis of 166 historic buildings. The seismic vulnerability assessment of the area was performed resorting to a simplified seismic vulnerability assessment method, composed of both qualitative and quantitative parameters. To better manage and analyze the human and economic exposure, the results were integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool, which allowed to map vulnerability and damage scenarios for different earthquake intensities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismic Vulnerability Assessment at Urban Scale)
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24 pages, 5496 KiB  
Article
Development of Seismic Vulnerability and Exposure Models—A Case Study of Croatia
by Gordana Pavić, Marijana Hadzima-Nyarko, Borko Bulajić and Željka Jurković
Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 973; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12030973 - 29 Jan 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3857
Abstract
Assessing earthquake risk and building vulnerability requires an exposure model. These exposure models quantify the building stock in terms of structural characteristics, spatial location, and occupancy. The most significant exposure parameters are the structural characteristics of buildings, which must be uniformly covered by [...] Read more.
Assessing earthquake risk and building vulnerability requires an exposure model. These exposure models quantify the building stock in terms of structural characteristics, spatial location, and occupancy. The most significant exposure parameters are the structural characteristics of buildings, which must be uniformly covered by structural typologies. Structural typologies that take into account the regional specificities of design and construction provide more accurate and reliable exposure models. Despite the long history of earthquake engineering in the Republic of Croatia, the assessment of exposure and vulnerability of buildings is a rather new concept, hindered by the fact that no city in the Republic of Croatia has a database on the number, types, and characteristics of existing buildings. The article presents the creation of a building exposure model for the city of Osijek, points out the problems and concerns that the realization process brings, and details the practical solutions and strategies that have been used to achieve the set goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismic Vulnerability Assessment at Urban Scale)
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12 pages, 4152 KiB  
Article
GIS-Based Seismic Hazard Prediction System for Urban Earthquake Disaster Prevention Planning
by Yongmei Zhai, Shenglong Chen and Qianwen Ouyang
Sustainability 2019, 11(9), 2620; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11092620 - 07 May 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 7697
Abstract
It is of great significance to conduct seismic hazard prediction in mitigating the damage caused by earthquakes in urban area. In this study, a geographic information system (GIS)-based seismic hazard prediction system for urban earthquake disaster prevention planning is developed, incorporating structural vulnerability [...] Read more.
It is of great significance to conduct seismic hazard prediction in mitigating the damage caused by earthquakes in urban area. In this study, a geographic information system (GIS)-based seismic hazard prediction system for urban earthquake disaster prevention planning is developed, incorporating structural vulnerability analysis, program development, and GIS. The system is integrated with proven building vulnerability analysis models, data search function, spatial analysis function, and plotting function. It realizes the batching and automation of seismic hazard prediction and the interactive visualization of predicted results. Finally, the system is applied to a test area and the results are compared with results from previous studies, the precision of which was improved because the construction time of the building was taken into consideration. Moreover, the system is of high intelligence and minimal manual intervention. It meets the operating requirements of non-professionals and provides a feasible technique and operating procedure for large-scale urban seismic hazard prediction. Above all, the system can provide data support and aid decision-making for the establishment and implementation of urban earthquake disaster prevention planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seismic Vulnerability Assessment at Urban Scale)
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