Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of School Buildings in Venezuela

Abstract eng:
70% of the about 34,000 Venezuelan schools are in high seismic hazard regions; about 1,000 are similar or identical to the four school buildings that collapsed during the 1997 Cariaco earthquake. This paper describes a national program aiming to evaluate and reduce the risk of existing schools. The steps under way include: (1) Development of a nationwide catalog on a GIS basis of the existing schools that includes type and date of construction, location, number of stories and population; (2) Building risk maps and estimating losses and casualties from future events; (3) Inspection of 250 school buildings located in the higher hazard zones, with emphasis on the older ones, using a data collection form specially designed for schools. A structural score that is correlated with seismic risk is assigned to each building; (4) Detailed studies of 10 standard school types, selected as pilot projects, including in situ dynamic tests and soil and foundation surveys; (5) Development of optimal retrofitting projects. The proposed solutions for the standard schools that collapsed in the 1997 Cariaco earthquake add stiff and ductile auxiliary structures to withstand most of the earthquake loads; (6) Installation of accelerometers in four schools to record future events; (7) Development of a guide for reducing non-structural vulnerabilities; (8) Workshops and production of videos to enhance the level of community awareness and preparation for seismic events.

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