Title: 'Zero' loss of life during natural hazards

Authors: Kubilay Kaptan

Addresses: Civil Engineering and Disaster Education, Application and Research Center, Istanbul Aydin University, Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract: It is emphasised that minimisation of earthquake risk is certainly a necessity in order to reduce poverty and homelessness in urban areas. A two phase investigation scheme is outlined to determine which buildings are susceptible to collapse. In the first phase, teams inspect any and all buildings, public or private, whether be a school, hospital or residential and collect 'photographic' data by visual inspection. The data includes information on ownership, design drawings, structural materials, load carrying system, rigidities of columns, shear walls and infill walls, possible sources of heavy damage, such as soft storey, short column, torsional irregularity, pounding, soil conditions, etc. Based on this information, and after some simple calculations, certain buildings are characterised as 'collapse susceptible'. In the second phase, nonlinear analyses are performed in order to determine which ones will most likely collapse. Finally, a rehabilitation programme is proposed for the purpose of strengthening these buildings.

Keywords: zero loss of life; disaster prevention; collapse vulnerability; homeless people; risk management; emergency management; earthquake risks; earthquakes; buildings collapse; buildings inspection; collapse susceptibility; nonlinear analysis; buildings rehabilitation; urban areas.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEM.2013.054100

International Journal of Emergency Management, 2013 Vol.9 No.1, pp.37 - 45

Received: 30 Dec 2011
Accepted: 23 Oct 2012
Published online: 22 May 2013 *

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