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1 – 10 of over 6000Introduction The 1985 earthquake in Mexico City served as a sobering reminder of the destructive effects that earthquakes can have on well‐constructed and engineered buildings…
Abstract
Introduction The 1985 earthquake in Mexico City served as a sobering reminder of the destructive effects that earthquakes can have on well‐constructed and engineered buildings. The collapse of some 120 tall buildings in steel and reinforced concrete, many designed to a modern earthquake building code, and serious damage in several hundred more, might suggest that modern methods are powerless to prevent catastrophe in an extreme event. Less informed observers even concluded (erroneously) from the generally good performance of 18th and 19th century masonry buildings in the earthquake that we have somehow lost the art of earthquake resistant design which our fore‐fathers knew. The reasons for the selectiveness of attack and the poor performance of modern construction in the Mexico earthquake have been widely discussed (for example, Booth et al.1) and are reasonably well understood.
Naill M. Momani and Asad Salmi
The purpose of this study is to measure the willingness of general education schools (governmental and private) in the Mecca region to deal with the threat of earthquakes through…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to measure the willingness of general education schools (governmental and private) in the Mecca region to deal with the threat of earthquakes through the identification of the preparedness of school buildings, the differences in the willingness of schools, and examine the relationship between the exposure to previous crises and readiness for future crises.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a survey method to explore and determine the readiness range of schools by distributing a questionnaire to school principals. The questionnaire measures the readiness range of the institutions to counter earthquake threat through six main fields which were developed based on Federal Emergency Management Agency Resources (www.fema.gov) and were used in developing an earthquake consequences model (Al Momani), namely: previous emergencies measures, previous earthquake experience measures, earthquake mitigation measures, earthquake preparedness measures, earthquake response measures and earthquake recovery measures.
Findings
It is apparent that schools are not prepared to deal with future earthquakes regardless of their types (public vs private) and levels (primary, elementary, secondary) which require establishing a department for disaster and crisis management within the public administration of Education headed by a specialist in disasters and crises management to make sure that current school campus, under construction campus, or leased buildings be prepared to deal with disasters and crises as they occur in non‐hazardous locations, compatible with building codes, and equipped with safety means. It is important to prepare a public emergency plan for disasters and crises and to train school administrators and teachers to prepare contingency plans for disaster management in school. Finally, there is a need to prepare disasters awareness programs benefiting from public and private media, internet, and workshops through utilizing experiences of other developed countries in disasters and crises management especially for schools.
Originality/value
This research could be used to augment the need of developing education system preparedness in Jeddah Province through implementing effective mitigation, preparedness, and response, as well as recovery options.
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Investigates the effects of earthquakes in the Victoria region of Australia. Looks at how they can be predicted by the use of seismology, and how this information can be used to…
Abstract
Investigates the effects of earthquakes in the Victoria region of Australia. Looks at how they can be predicted by the use of seismology, and how this information can be used to protect buildings from major damage. Examines a system developed by the Seismology Research Centre, Bundoora, Australia, to provide alarm, damage scenario and response information after moderate or large earthquakes.
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Geming Zhang, Lin Yang and Wenxiang Jiang
The purpose of this study is to introduce the top-level design ideas and the overall architecture of earthquake early-warning system for high speed railways in China, which is…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to introduce the top-level design ideas and the overall architecture of earthquake early-warning system for high speed railways in China, which is based on P-wave earthquake early-warning and multiple ways of rapid treatment.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes the key technologies that are involved in the development of the system, such as P-wave identification and earthquake early-warning, multi-source seismic information fusion and earthquake emergency treatment technologies. The paper also presents the test results of the system, which show that it has complete functions and its major performance indicators meet the design requirements.
Findings
The study demonstrates that the high speed railways earthquake early-warning system serves as an important technical tool for high speed railways to cope with the threat of earthquake to the operation safety. The key technical indicators of the system have excellent performance: The first report time of the P-wave is less than three seconds. From the first arrival of P-wave to the beginning of train braking, the total delay of onboard emergency treatment is 3.63 seconds under 95% probability. The average total delay for power failures triggered by substations is 3.3 seconds.
Originality/value
The paper provides a valuable reference for the research and development of earthquake early-warning system for high speed railways in other countries and regions. It also contributes to the earthquake prevention and disaster reduction efforts.
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Mustafa Dallı and Asena Soyluk
The aim of this study is to question the relationship between architectural ethical codes and faults in earthquakes. Earthquakes have devastating effects on all societies in…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to question the relationship between architectural ethical codes and faults in earthquakes. Earthquakes have devastating effects on all societies in history and today. And the relationship and importance of the architect and building, one of the most important roles of these destructive effects, is once again revealed in every earthquake. Although there are some restrictions or warnings for architects and the architectural profession to reduce this destructive effect in many regulations and ethical codes, it is possible to see the defects caused by architectural design and the destruction caused by these defects in every new earthquake.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the most destructive earthquakes in Turkey in the past 20 years (Bingöl, Van, Elazig and Izmir) and the 1999 Marmara earthquake, which was the most destructive earthquake in Turkey’s recent history, and the damages occurred in these earthquakes and their causes were examined. Although the scope of the study is “destructive earthquakes that have occurred in the past 20 years in Turkey”, the Marmara Earthquake, which occurred in 1999, when the destructive effect of the earthquake was seen the most and architectural design errors were intense, was also included in the scope of the study. And to have a more comprehensive understanding of how these defects are examined in terms of ethical codes and to make a more comprehensive comparison, ethical codes from different countries in the world have been researched and a review has been made on topics such as public welfare, human rights and raising the standard of the profession.
Findings
This study concludes by reviewing the key factors learned from the examined ethical codes of different countries. Finding ethical codes of different countries was challenging to gain approval. In addition, the study ends with recommendations in terms of questioning the regulations and education curriculum relations on a country basis.
Originality/value
This study, which targets architect candidates who carry out the profession of architecture and continue their architectural education, evaluates the architectural design flaws seen in earthquakes through ethical codes and forms a basis for further studies.
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Jonas Schwarz, Valentina Kascel, Muhammad Azmat and Sebastian Kummer
This study aims to compare the humanitarian supply chains and logistics of two countries in earthquake preparedness by modifying and using a previously established preparedness…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to compare the humanitarian supply chains and logistics of two countries in earthquake preparedness by modifying and using a previously established preparedness evaluation framework.
Design/methodology/approach
A European flood emergency management system (FEMS) is a seven-dimensional framework to assess a country’s preparedness for flood emergencies. The FEMS framework was modified to apply to earthquakes. Leveraging a multiple explanatory case study approach with data analysis, the authors reconstructed the events of the earthquakes in Pakistan (2005) and Japan (2011) with an applied grading (1–5). Findings were evaluated within the adopted FEMS framework. From a practitioner’s perspective, the framework is applicable and can accelerate support in the field.
Findings
Pakistan lacked emergency plans before the 2005 earthquake. In contrast, Japan possessed emergency plans before the disaster, helping minimise casualties. Overall, Japan demonstrated considerably better emergency management effectiveness. However, both countries significantly lacked the distribution of responsibilities among actors.
Originality/value
Practical factors in the humanitarian supply chain are well understood. However, synthesising individual factors into a comprehensive framework is difficult, which the study solves by applying and adopting the FEMS framework to earthquakes. The developed framework allows practitioners a structured baseline for prioritising measures in the field. Furthermore, this study exemplifies the usefulness of cross-hazard research within emergency management and preparedness in a real-world scenario.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of earthquakes on the labor market. The authors try to estimate the impact of two major earthquakes (Izmir and Elazig) in Turkey.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of earthquakes on the labor market. The authors try to estimate the impact of two major earthquakes (Izmir and Elazig) in Turkey.
Design/methodology/approach
In order to analyze the effects of devastating earthquakes in the nearby regions of the province where the earthquake took place, on the labor market, monthly and annual data from the TUIK and ISKUR database will be used. For this purpose, the authors consider the earthquake a natural experiment and employ a Synthetic Control Method (SCM). In addition, the analysis will be carried out using seasonally adjusted data, taking into account the seasonal effects of the monthly data to be used in the study.
Findings
The results show that the impact varies based on the labor market structure of the regions. While the earthquake positively affects the labor market of agriculture-oriented regions, it harms the labor market of nonagricultural-oriented regions.
Research limitations/implications
A major limitation of the study is that we cannot fully separate the impact of Covid-19 from our estimate. The authors believe that Covid-19 overestimates the negative impact of earthquakes on the labor market.
Social implications
Earthquakes have adverse effects on the labor market. The estimation of the earthquake-related costs may provide a useful guide on policy planning and government incentives.
Originality/value
The originality of the study lies in the fact that this is the first study to evaluate how the dynamics of the labor market has changed as a result of the earthquakes that have taken place in Turkey, within the framework of causality.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-08-2022-0568
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Yong Huang, Guangyou Song and Guochang Li
The purpose of this study is to explore the seismic damage mechanism of the Dayemaling Bridge during the Maduo earthquake and discuss the seismic damage characteristics of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the seismic damage mechanism of the Dayemaling Bridge during the Maduo earthquake and discuss the seismic damage characteristics of the high-pier curved girder bridge.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the numerical simulation method is used to analyze the seismic response using synthetic near-field ground motion records.
Findings
The near-field ground motion of the Maduo earthquake has an obvious directional effect, it is more likely to cause bridge seismic damage. Considering the longitudinal slope of the bridge and adopting the continuous girder bridge form, the beam end displacement of the curved bridge can be effectively reduced, and the collision force of the block and the bending moment of the pier bottom are reduced, so the curved bridge with longitudinal slope is adopted.
Originality/value
Combined with the seismic damage phenomenon of bridges in real earthquakes, the seismic damage mechanism and vulnerability characteristics of high-pier curved girder bridges are discussed by the numerical simulation method, which provides technical support for the application of such bridges in high seismic intensity areas.
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Mauli Vora, Zu‐Hsu Lee and Wenshen Pong
This paper first aims to estimate the economic loss due to an earthquake, such as building‐related losses, the damage of debris generation and fire, and the social impact. Then…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper first aims to estimate the economic loss due to an earthquake, such as building‐related losses, the damage of debris generation and fire, and the social impact. Then, it seeks to evaluate the feasibility of retrofit to prevent buildings from seismic structural damages.
Design/methodology/approach
The HAZUS software is used for the seismic loss estimation using default demographic data, which were obtained from San Francisco Assessor record. The HAZUS estimates the damage using the earthquake of 6.7 magnitude. Based on the HAZUS report incorporated with probabilistic scenarios of earthquakes, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines are used to calculate the cost of structural rehabilitation in San Francisco.
Findings
It is recommended that either Options 1 and 3 or Options 2 and 3 provided by FEMA 156 and 157 respectively should be used to calculate the cost of seismic rehabilitation of a structure. The results provide estimated costs of retrofit plans for different types of existing buildings.
Practical implications
The implementation of quantitative and computer methods in the field of natural hazard management is demonstrated. The outcome provides economic guidelines for assessment and prevention (or reduction) of possible seismic loss and building damage.
Originality/value
The study may be a useful reference for retrofit plans for homeowners and business management. The cost estimation also can help government establish or revise some policies properly to provide homeowners with economic incentives (e.g. tax reduction, low interest loan) in retrofitting their homes.
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Michael Petterson, Sonam Wangchuk and Norgay Konchok
This paper places a college at the centreof a multi-hazard assessment (earthquake, flood and landslide). The college is within a less studied, rural area of Ladakh, North India…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper places a college at the centreof a multi-hazard assessment (earthquake, flood and landslide). The college is within a less studied, rural area of Ladakh, North India. Research focusses on a case study (Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) College), close to Leh, Ladakh, and extends to incorporate/apply thinking from/to the wider Ladakh region. The approach adopted, centring on the hazard assessment of a single entity/local area, allows a rapid uptake of hazard recommendations within a college environment planning to continue its existence for decades ahead. A sister paper (Petterson et al., 2019) documents the active involvement of college staff and students in the principles of geohazard assessment and the development of student-centric hazard assessments of the college and their home village. SECMOL is a self-sufficient, alternative, college, organised along strong environmentally sustainable principles. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This work has adopted different strategies for different hazards. Fieldwork involved the collection of quantitative and qualitative data (e.g. shape and size of valleys/river channels/valley sides, estimation of vegetation density, measurement of sediment clasts, angle of slopes, assessment of sediment character, stratigraphy of floodplains and identification of vulnerable elements). These data were combined with satellite image analysis to: define river catchment character and flood vulnerability (e.g. using the methodology of Collier and Fox, 2003), examine catchment connectivity, and examine landslip scars and generic terrain analysis. Literature studies and seismic database interrogation allowed the calculation of potential catchment floodwater volumes, and the collation of epicentre, magnitude, depth and date of seismic events, together with recent thinking on the return period of large Himalayan earthquakes. These data were used to develop geological-seismic and river catchment maps, the identification of vulnerable elements, and disaster scenario analyses.
Findings
This research concludes that SECMOL, and much of the Ladakh region, is exposed to significant seismic, flood and landslide hazard risk. High magnitude earthquakes have return periods of 100s to c. 1,000 years in the Himalayas and can produce intense levels of damage. It is prudent to maximise earthquake engineering wherever possible. The 2010 Leh floods demonstrated high levels of devastation: these floods could severely damage the SECMOL campus if storms were centred close by. This study reveals the connectivity of catchments at varying altitudes and the potential interactions of adjacent catchments. Evacuation plans need to be developed for the college. Northern ridges at SECMOL could bury parts of the campus if mobilised by earthquakes/rainfall. Slope angles can be lowered and large boulders moved to reduce risk. This work reinforces recommendations that relate to building quality and urban/rural planning, e.g. using spatial planning to keep people away from high-risk zones.
Practical implications
The frequency of hazards is low, but potential impacts high to very high. Hazard mitigation actions include engineering options for hazardous slopes, buildings to be earthquake-proofed, and evacuation management for large floods.
Originality/value
Methodologies undertaken in this research are well-tested. Linkages between disciplines are ambitious and somewhat original. The application of this work to a specific college centre site with the capacity to rapidly take up recommendations is novel. The identification of catchment inter-connectivity in this part of Ladakh is novel. This work complements a sister paper (Petterson et al., 2019) for community aspects of this study, adding to the novelty value.
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