Seismic vulnerability assessment of building stock of Malakand (Pakistan) using FEMA P-154 method

Abstract

Earthquakes have caused huge infrastructural damages along with loss of lives in the recent past. Continuous subduction of the Indian plate beneath the Eurasian plate has made Pakistan a seismically active region in the world. Malakand, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan, is declared at high earthquake risk by the National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan, warranting a seismic vulnerability assessment study for its existing building stock. Vulnerability assessment of a representative sample of different building use-types was carried out using the rapid visual screening (RVS) procedure of FEMA P-154. The sample size was calculated based on Yamane formula. RVS sheets are used to calculate structural scores, and likely seismogenic damage is depicted as a function of damage grades of European Macro Seismic Scale. Of the building stock inspected, it was observed that almost half of the buildings fall in damage grade 4 and 5, implying a strong probability of heavy structural and non-structural damages in the case of future earthquake occurrence. Government school buildings were found to be less vulnerable than private counterparts. Most of the commercial buildings were not constructed according to building code, making them highly susceptible to damage. Based on the results of vulnerability assessment of building structures, the article recommends implementation of building codes which can lead to a decrease in infrastructural damages and economic losses in the wake of a future seismic event.

Assessment of Seismic Vulnerability of Building Using Rapid Visual Screening Method: A Case Study in a Ward of Chattogram City Corporation

“…Building type: Seismic performance of a building primarily depends on its lateral load resisting type (Subramanian & Velayutham, 2014). Based on construction types and building materials, seventeen types of buildings are selected in FEMA P-154 (Khan et al, 2019).…”

“…Irregularity in the plan adversely affects the seismic performance of a building (Avila et al, 2018). Plan irregularity has a less adverse effect on seismic performance as compared to vertical irregularity and therefore has a less score modi er than vertical irregularity for all types of buildings (Khan et al, 2019).…”

“…The Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) method is a valuable approach used to assess the seismic vulnerability of buildings in a quick and cost-effective manner (Baba Hamed et al, 2013;Inel et al, 2008;Jain et al, 2010;Joshi et al, 2019;Perrone et al, 2015;Rainer et al, 1992;Sucuoğlu et al, 2007;Yadollahi et al, 2012). By visually inspecting buildings, RVS allows for the identi cation of architectural and structural characteristics that may contribute to their susceptibility to seismic hazards (Jain et al, 2010;Khan et al, 2019). This method serves as an initial screening tool to prioritize further evaluations and potential retro tting measures.…”

Machine Learning Assessment of Damage Grade for Post-Earthquake Buildings: A Three-Stage Approach Directly Handling Categorical Features

“…Ningthoujam and Nanda proposed a robust and straightforward approach to evaluating the safety of concrete buildings against earthquakes in India, considering features such as whether the buildings are soft story, their age, whether they have substantial overhang, and so on [8]. Khan et al employed a rapid visual screening approach of FEMA P-154 to assess the seismic vulnerability of existing buildings in Malakand, a region with an elevated risk [9]. Diana et al predicted displacement demand and building damage grades (DGs) more accurately by typological capacity curves and the modified N2 method for Nordic countries [10].…”

Seismic Risk Assessment of Typical Reinforced Concrete Frame School Buildings in Sri Lanka

“…These intra-plate activities assume significance in the seismic risk assessment of critical and strategic structures in Sri Lanka, particularly schools [1]. In recent times, due to earthquakes occurring in South Asia, notably in countries such as India [2][3][4], Pakistan [5], and Nepal [6,7], school buildings have endured severe damage. This is primarily because many of these structures were originally designed to withstand only gravitational forces.…”