Structural Vulnerability of Buildings Exposed to Earthquake in Hilly Region: A Conceptual Framework: Fid-Bau Portal

Structural Vulnerability of Buildings Exposed to Earthquake in Hilly Region: A Conceptual Framework

Singh, Aditi / Kanungo, D. P.

Globally, earthquakes are one of the most unpredictable devastating natural disasters and India is one of the highest earthquake-prone regions in the world, since about 59% of its land is prone to moderate-to-severe earthquakes. Further, most of the quaint hill towns of Himalayas are located in seismic zones V and IV, thereby making the structures as most vulnerable. The enormous developmental activities in the hilly regions that too without earthquake-resistant measures are causing severe concerns related to their suitability. Several research on assessment of the structural vulnerability of buildings have been conducted so far in the past; however, there exists a lack of uniform methodology that can be applied in all the hilly regions of India. This paper emphasizes the general concerns and challenges associated with the development and building regulations of hilly regions. The present study attempts to develop a framework, keeping in view the Indian scenarios, to assess the structural vulnerability of buildings quantitatively established on the resistance of the buildings and the earthquake hazard zone (i.e. zones II, III, IV and V) that a particular region belongs to. The resistance of the buildings is estimated based on the codal provisions and some other literature review. This study will help the engineers and planners to understand the degree of vulnerability in a particular hilly terrain and the issue associated to building regulations for their protection against hazards in the hilly regions of India. This can be done by taking appropriate measures beforehand by strengthening the structural aspect which is making the buildings vulnerable. Since safe structures are the pillars of human coping capacity toward safe living, therefore this study will help to reduce the vulnerabilities within the buildings exposed to earthquakes and boost its capacity for disaster mitigation and restoration to attain resilience against earthquake hazard.