Multiscale Seismic Vulnerability Assessment and Retrofit of Existing Masonry Buildings

The growing concern about the protection of built heritage and the sustainability of urban areas has driven the reoccupation of existing masonry buildings, which, in the great majority of the cases, were not designed or constructed to withstand significant seismic forces. This fact, associated with territorial occupation often concentrated in areas with high seismic hazard, makes it essential to look at these buildings from the point of view of the assessment of their seismic vulnerability and retrofitting needs. However, to be effective and efficient, such an assessment must be founded on a solid knowledge of the existing methods and tools, as well as on the criteria that should underlie the selection of the most appropriate to use in each context and situation. Aimed at contributing to systematise that knowledge, this paper presents a comprehensive review of the most relevant vulnerability assessment methods applicable at different scales, as well as the most significant traditional and innovative seismic retrofitting solutions for existing masonry buildings.

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Geotechnical Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Puerto Vallarta, México

10.21203/rs.3.rs-325281/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Christian R Escudero ◽

Alejandro Ramirez Gaytan ◽

Araceli Zamora Camacho ◽

Adolfo Preciado ◽

Karen L. Flores ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Resonance Frequency ◽

Latin American ◽

Vulnerability Assessment ◽

Seismic Risk ◽

Seismic Vulnerability ◽

Construction Materials ◽

Standard Penetration Test ◽

Masonry Buildings ◽

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment ◽

Confined Masonry

Abstract We performed a seismic vulnerability assessment that involves geotechnical and building structure analysis for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a city located along the pacific coast. Like many other Latin American cities, has significant seismic risk. We implemented the multi-channel analysis of surface waves and the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio methods to estimate shear wave velocity and soil resonance frequency. We considered standard penetration test to determine the penetration resistance and soil classification. We also defined building typologies based on construction materials and structural systems. The VS30 parameter shows that Puerto Vallarta has the three poorest soil classifications. The resonance frequency parameter shows four zones with different fundamental soil periods. We inferred the building's vulnerability from the coupling between the structural and soil fundamental period and the soil characteristics. The analysis shows several vulnerable buildings scatters within the city, e.g., within the tourist area, confined masonry buildings from one to five stories and moment resistance frame buildings up to 12 in the tourist area, poorly confined masonry houses of one to two stories, and confined masonry buildings of one to five stories in the residential/commercial. We present an approach that combines the academic and government to solve a real and transcendental problem since it might directly affect the regulation and structure evaluations in the area. We are sure that these exercises are of great interest in urban growth areas in other parts of the world, especially in Latin America, to achieve seismic risk mitigation.

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