NEW VULNERABILITY MODELS OF TYPICAL BUILDINGS IN URBAN AREAS:

Applications to seismic risk assessment and target retrofitting methodology

About 2BeSafe Project

Interdisciplinary project in the field of earthquake engineering, with a particular focus on assessing the vulnerability of substandard buildings in urban areas that contribute significantly to seismic risk and the possibilities to strengthen them using retrofitting. The project takes a unique and comprehensive approach to mitigate the effects of an earthquake at the prevention stage. Such an innovative approach, using state-of-the-art experimental tests and detailed numerical analysis, allows the identification of the collapse mechanisms of a structure and critical structural elements, and the proposal of new vulnerability models, enabling the development of a new methodology for optimal retrofitting.

Project Objectives

The establishment of research group

The establishment of a new interdisciplinary research group, trained by international centres of knowledge and excellence in the field, as centre for excellence for advanced seismic performance evaluation and retrofit of buildings, and assessment of seismic risk.

Identification of typical building classes with expected high vulnerability

To identify ten most vulnerable building types (5 RC and 5 masonry) in the urban areas of the region which are estimated to be the most vulnerable with regard to seismic risk.

Seismic hazard definition

Define the model of seismic hazard which is applicable to observed region and to choose existing and develop new ground acceleration records and corresponding response spectra accordingly, in order to numerically simulate earthquake loading.

Seismic performance assessment of buildings

To assess seismic performance of selected vulnerable building types to earthquakes of various intensity levels and to determine their vulnerability models, collapse mechanisms and critical structural elements, using advanced numerical models and analysis methods.

Development of methodology for target retrofit and seismic performance assessment of retrofitted buildings

To establish new methodology for target retrofit of substandard buildings and to assess seismic performance of retrofitted buildings.

Project proposals applied for other funding sources

Collaboration with leading researchers in the field that will position the research group as the centre of excellence for advanced assessments of building performance, seismic risk assessments and methodology of target retrofit.

Latest News

4. January 2023.

Prof. Paolo Bazzuro and his associates will visit Zagreb at the end of January 2023. Prof. Bazzurro will give a lecture on “Development of fragility curves for risk assessment of specific buildings with focus on ground motion selection techniques: dos and don’ts.” on 25. 1. 2023, starting at 10:15, in the lecture hall VP at the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Zagreb, Kačićeva 26.

4. October 2022.

Members of the research group attended the 10th ICCSM International Congress of. Croatian Society of Mechanics Pula, Croatia, September 28 – 30, 2022. organised by Croatian Society of Mechanics.

29. July 2022.

3rd European Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology was held from 4th – 9th September 2022 in Bucharest, Romania.

Prof. Mario Uroš gave a lecture at the conference on Damage to masonry buildings after Petrinja Mw 6.4 Earthquake in 2020 that shook large parts of central Croatia and caused significant damage to buildings in the area.