Earthquakes: Significant Issues

EarthquakesEarthquakes- significant issues -- significant issues -EarthquakesEarthquakes- significant issues -- significant issues -

David AlexanderDavid AlexanderDavid AlexanderDavid Alexander

Construction failureConstruction failure poses the poses thegreatest threat to life ingreatest threat to life in

earthquakesearthquakes

Construction failureConstruction failure poses the poses thegreatest threat to life ingreatest threat to life in

earthquakesearthquakes

Structural integrityStructural integrity::a building's physical adequacya building's physical adequacyfor its intended purposefor its intended purpose

Structural integrityStructural integrity::a building's physical adequacya building's physical adequacyfor its intended purposefor its intended purpose

FailureFailure: total or partial: total or partialcollapse, or the destruction orcollapse, or the destruction ornon-functionality of a buildingnon-functionality of a building..

FailureFailure: total or partial: total or partialcollapse, or the destruction orcollapse, or the destruction ornon-functionality of a buildingnon-functionality of a building..

Seismic damage to buildingsis a function of:-• seismic energy expenditure: magnitude duration of strong motion maximum acceleration• distance from epicentre• surface geology (soft sediments amplify waves)• effect of construction type• regularity of building form• state of maintenance of building.

Seismic damage to buildingsis a function of:-• seismic energy expenditure: magnitude duration of strong motion maximum acceleration• distance from epicentre• surface geology (soft sediments amplify waves)• effect of construction type• regularity of building form• state of maintenance of building.

In the Tangshan (China) earthquakeIn the Tangshan (China) earthquakeof July 1976 (magnitude 7.6),of July 1976 (magnitude 7.6),of 352 multi-storey buildings:of 352 multi-storey buildings:

In the Tangshan (China) earthquakeIn the Tangshan (China) earthquakeof July 1976 (magnitude 7.6),of July 1976 (magnitude 7.6),of 352 multi-storey buildings:of 352 multi-storey buildings:

• 4 4 (1%) (1%) maintained theirmaintained their structural integritystructural integrity• 4 4 (1%) (1%) maintained theirmaintained their structural integritystructural integrity

• 177177 (50%) (50%) collapsed completelycollapsed completely• 177177 (50%) (50%) collapsed completelycollapsed completely

• 8585 (24%) (24%) collapsed partiallycollapsed partially• 8585 (24%) (24%) collapsed partiallycollapsed partially

• 8686 (25%)(25%) were severely damaged were severely damaged• 8686 (25%)(25%) were severely damaged were severely damaged

Knowledge must be gained of how to:-

• buttress buildings temporarily

• repair buildings permanently

• design and construct buildings antiseismically.

Knowledge must be gained of how to:-

• buttress buildings temporarily

• repair buildings permanently

• design and construct buildings antiseismically.

Antiseismic design utilizes:-

• experience of a building's seismic performance

• hypotheses about a building's seismic response

• design techniques to combat weaknesses in buildings induced by earthquakes.

Antiseismic design utilizes:-

• experience of a building's seismic performance

• hypotheses about a building's seismic response

• design techniques to combat weaknesses in buildings induced by earthquakes.

The largest urban seismic riskThe largest urban seismic riskis in Istanbul and Tehranis in Istanbul and Tehran

The largest urban seismic riskThe largest urban seismic riskis in Istanbul and Tehranis in Istanbul and Tehran

Major earthquakes represent an enormousurban search-and-rescue (USAR) challenge

The international relief system ishugely expensive and inefficient

$1,000,000 per life saved!

• in the 20th century 46 lethal earthquakes caused 128,000 deaths• in the 20th century 46 lethal earthquakes caused 128,000 deaths

• a damaging quake once in 24-56 months• a damaging quake once in 24-56 months

• 70%70% of the population lives in of the population lives in municipalities classified seismic;municipalities classified seismic; 40%40% in 2,965 highly seismic ones in 2,965 highly seismic ones

• 70%70% of the population lives in of the population lives in municipalities classified seismic;municipalities classified seismic; 40%40% in 2,965 highly seismic ones in 2,965 highly seismic ones

• greatest risk is in thegreatest risk is in the 22,000 historical town centres22,000 historical town centres• greatest risk is in thegreatest risk is in the 22,000 historical town centres22,000 historical town centres

• 35.3%35.3% of homes in earthquake zones of homes in earthquake zones are anti-seismically constructedare anti-seismically constructed..• 35.3%35.3% of homes in earthquake zones of homes in earthquake zones are anti-seismically constructedare anti-seismically constructed..

In Italy...In Italy...In Italy...In Italy...

VICTIM

UNINJURED INJURED

HEALTHY INFECTEDWORSENING

OF CONDITION

IMPROVEMENTOF CONDITION

HEALTHY

IMPROVEMENTOF CONDITION

DISEASES INJURIES

Public health measures

Search and rescue

Medical assistance

Medical aid

Mortuarialand funeralservices

WORSENINGOF CONDITION

DEATH

DISASTER

No damageto buildings

Damageto buildings

InjuriesEmergency roominjuries

Hospitaladmissions

Source: Linda Bourque, UCLA

In the El Salvador earthquakeof 1986 hospitals collapsedhospitals collapsed.




In the Bam, Iran, earthquakeof 2003 hospitals collapsedhospitals collapsed.

In the Bam, Iran, earthquakeof 2003 hospitals collapsedhospitals collapsed.

In the Italian Irpinia-Basilicataearthquake of 1980 hospitals collapsedhospitals collapsed.

In the Italian Irpinia-Basilicataearthquake of 1980 hospitals collapsedhospitals collapsed.

....haven't we learnt anything at all?

"At Olive View Medical Center, two buildings "At Olive View Medical Center, two buildings collapsed in 1971, and three people died, collapsed in 1971, and three people died,

including two patients on life-support systems including two patients on life-support systems that failed when auxiliary generators did not that failed when auxiliary generators did not start. The third was an ambulance driver who start. The third was an ambulance driver who was crushed by a falling wall. Olive View was was crushed by a falling wall. Olive View was

an 888-bed hospital then. It had only been an 888-bed hospital then. It had only been open a month when the quake hit. Because of open a month when the quake hit. Because of

extensive damage, the hospital was rebuilt, extensive damage, the hospital was rebuilt, with attention to strengthening it against any with attention to strengthening it against any future quake. But it was much smaller. Now it future quake. But it was much smaller. Now it

has a capacity of 377 patients."has a capacity of 377 patients."[Sylmar, California, history file]

Of the 58 fatalities caused by building damage, 50 occurred in hospitals. The worst damage to medical facilities

occurred at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Sylmar where two large buildings collapsed. Even though the

hospital site was right on the edge of the heavily urbanized San Fernando Valley, it took one hour and 22 minutes

before a fire department helicopter happened to spot the collapses and send help. The reason for such a delay? The

phones didn’t work, the hospital’s radio was in one of the collapsed buildings, and the first message orally delivered by a hospital staff member to a nearby government facility was confused with an already received report of damage to

a different nearby hospital.[Reitherman 2004]

Seismic hazards to hospitals:-Seismic hazards to hospitals:-

• loss of loss of structural integritystructural integrity and building functionalityand building functionality• loss of loss of structural integritystructural integrity and building functionalityand building functionality

• seismically-induced seismically-induced floodingflooding,, landsliding and subsidencelandsliding and subsidence• seismically-induced seismically-induced floodingflooding,, landsliding and subsidencelandsliding and subsidence

• loss of trained loss of trained personnelpersonnel• loss of trained loss of trained personnelpersonnel

• loss of medical and loss of medical and surgical capacitysurgical capacity• loss of medical and loss of medical and surgical capacitysurgical capacity

• loss of loss of suppliessupplies (including utilities) (including utilities) and failure of supply chainsand failure of supply chains• loss of loss of suppliessupplies (including utilities) (including utilities) and failure of supply chainsand failure of supply chains

• inaccessibilityinaccessibility..• inaccessibilityinaccessibility..

UnaccaptableUnaccaptableperformanceperformance



FullyFullyoperationaloperational

FullyFullyoperationaloperational

OperationalOperationalOperationalOperational LifeLifesafesafeLifeLifesafesafe

NearNearcollapsecollapse

NearNearcollapsecollapse CollapseCollapseCollapseCollapse

RareRare60%g60%gRareRare60%g60%g

VeryVeryrarerare

80%g80%g

VeryVeryrarerare

80%g80%g

Seismic design levelSeismic design levelSeismic design levelSeismic design level

HospitalsHospitals

Capacity:Capacity:Capacity:Capacity:

• beds (beds (expandableexpandable))• beds (beds (expandableexpandable))

• surgical and curative (surgical and curative (fixedfixed or or diminisheddiminished in the short term) in the short term)..• surgical and curative (surgical and curative (fixedfixed or or diminisheddiminished in the short term) in the short term)..

ResilienceResilienceResilienceResilience

• ensuring ensuring continuitycontinuity of of services and medical suppliesservices and medical supplies• ensuring ensuring continuitycontinuity of of services and medical suppliesservices and medical supplies

• ability to cope with veryability to cope with very large large surges in demandsurges in demand• ability to cope with veryability to cope with very large large surges in demandsurges in demand

• protecting protecting personnelpersonnel and and their immediate familiestheir immediate families• protecting protecting personnelpersonnel and and their immediate familiestheir immediate families

• protecting protecting lifelineslifelines that enable the that enable the injured to access medical careinjured to access medical care..• protecting protecting lifelineslifelines that enable the that enable the injured to access medical careinjured to access medical care..

• ensuring the ensuring the structural integritystructural integrity of the medical facilityof the medical facility• ensuring the ensuring the structural integritystructural integrity of the medical facilityof the medical facility

MeasuresMeasuresMeasuresMeasures

• seismic integrity seismic integrity surveyssurveys (structural and non-structural)(structural and non-structural)• seismic integrity seismic integrity surveyssurveys (structural and non-structural)(structural and non-structural)

• emergency emergency planningplanning (...testing, (...testing, revising, diffusing plans...)revising, diffusing plans...)• emergency emergency planningplanning (...testing, (...testing, revising, diffusing plans...)revising, diffusing plans...)

• estimate medical, surgical,estimate medical, surgical, pharmaceutical and logistical pharmaceutical and logistical needsneeds• estimate medical, surgical,estimate medical, surgical, pharmaceutical and logistical pharmaceutical and logistical needsneeds

• earthquake earthquake casualtycasualty estimation estimation..• earthquake earthquake casualtycasualty estimation estimation..

Health facility networkHealth facility networkemergency planemergency plan

Health facility networkHealth facility networkemergency planemergency plan

OtherOtherhospitalshospitals

and clinicsand clinicsin the areain the area

ExternalExternalemergency planemergency plan

ExternalExternalemergency planemergency plan

Site of theSite of thedisasterdisaster

Site of theSite of thedisasterdisaster

Internal emergency planInternal emergency planInternal emergency planInternal emergency plan

The three foci of medical emergency planningThe three foci of medical emergency planningThe three foci of medical emergency planningThe three foci of medical emergency planning

Disasterin the medical

centre

Disasterin the system

of medicalcentres

Disasterin the externalenvironment

Disasterplanning forthe medical

centre

Disasterplanning

for the systemof medical

centres

Disasterplanning forthe externalenvironment

Co-ordinatedEMS Disaster

plans

Disaster

T1

T1 T2

T2

T2

T2

Helicopter links

Telecommunications links

Ambulance routes Emergency bus transportation

Primary triage point Secondary triage points

Pulmonaryspecialists

Burnsunit

Emergencyoperations

commander Coroner Next-of-kin

Incidentcommand

post

Incidentcommander

Hospital I

Hospital II

Mortuary

Secondarytreatment

centre

Emergencyoperations

centre

Stagingarea

NowNowoverovertotoyou!you!

NowNowoverovertotoyou!you!

1. 1. A major earthquake has severelyA major earthquake has severelydamaged a hospital which has a largedamaged a hospital which has a largeAccident & Emergency department and isAccident & Emergency department and islocated in the heart of a metropolitan area.located in the heart of a metropolitan area.Describe how you would manage the situation.Describe how you would manage the situation.

1. 1. A major earthquake has severelyA major earthquake has severelydamaged a hospital which has a largedamaged a hospital which has a largeAccident & Emergency department and isAccident & Emergency department and islocated in the heart of a metropolitan area.located in the heart of a metropolitan area.Describe how you would manage the situation.Describe how you would manage the situation.

2. 2. A major earthquake has caused a row ofA major earthquake has caused a row oftall apartment blocks to collapse. They weretall apartment blocks to collapse. They wereinhabited. Describe how you would manageinhabited. Describe how you would managethe emergency response.the emergency response.

2. 2. A major earthquake has caused a row ofA major earthquake has caused a row oftall apartment blocks to collapse. They weretall apartment blocks to collapse. They wereinhabited. Describe how you would manageinhabited. Describe how you would managethe emergency response.the emergency response.

3. 3. A major earthquake has left 15,000 peopleA major earthquake has left 15,000 peopleunable or unwilling to return to their homes.unable or unwilling to return to their homes.Describe how you would manage the shelterDescribe how you would manage the shelterand structural survey problem.and structural survey problem.

3. 3. A major earthquake has left 15,000 peopleA major earthquake has left 15,000 peopleunable or unwilling to return to their homes.unable or unwilling to return to their homes.Describe how you would manage the shelterDescribe how you would manage the shelterand structural survey problem.and structural survey problem.

Your resources:-Your resources:-• PeoplePeople - personnel, experts, manpower - personnel, experts, manpower• SuppliesSupplies - consumables, medicines, fuel - consumables, medicines, fuel• EquipmentEquipment, vehicles, vehicles• FacilitiesFacilities - buildings - buildings• CommunicationsCommunications..

Your resources:-Your resources:-• PeoplePeople - personnel, experts, manpower - personnel, experts, manpower• SuppliesSupplies - consumables, medicines, fuel - consumables, medicines, fuel• EquipmentEquipment, vehicles, vehicles• FacilitiesFacilities - buildings - buildings• CommunicationsCommunications..

Education

Earthquakes: Significant Issues