Science for Earthquake Awareness in Romania: Experience of European Center for Buildings Rehabilitation Within Eur-Opa Major Hazards Agreement

Abstract eng:
ECBR – European Center for Buildings Rehabilitation is a specialized center within the European and Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA), operated in URBAN-INCERC - National Institute for Research and Development in Constructions, Urban Planning and Sustainable Spatial Development. The ECBR Project “Public Awareness and Education Tools for Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness in Earthquake Crisis Situation, Including People with Disabilities” is devoted to the use of scientific approaches in creating and enhancing awareness. The deep Vrancea earthquakes of Romania are a source of trans-boundary impact, thus the EUR-OPA specialised centres ECMNR of Chisinau, R. Moldova, ECRP of Sofia, Bulgaria, TESEC of Kiev, Ukraine and ECPFE of Athens, Greece are partners in the project. The project reinforced national, local and regional actions in DRR, making available reliable knowledge and risk awareness materials. In Romania, URBAN-INCERC and ECBR are concerned about the causal connection between the vulnerability of some categories of buildings and the risk perception and awareness of building owners. The main risk is related to Vrancea source earthquakes and pre-1940 high-rise buildings in Bucharest, some hundreds to thousands, erected without seismic design. Since 1994, these structures are labelled for seismic risk, but until 2016 only a number of 73 high-rise buildings are strengthened. In fact, many owners do not act for more strengthenings, and they are living at risk. In February 2016, there were still unstrengthened 181 buildings in first class of seismic risk and public danger and other 174 buildings in first class of seismic risk (high risk of collapse under design earthquake of Code P100-3/2008). Some hundreds to thousands buildings are in other classes of risk. A new program and budget will start strengthening of 80 buildings in 2016. There is a need to increase the speed of strengthening works in Bucharest, but owners must be convinced to do it. Awareness is related also to other seismic activity. URBAN-INCERC and ECBR studied the damage of buildings in villages Izvoarele and Schela during the September 2013 when a swarm of small and shallow (crustal) earthquakes occurred in Galati County. Some TV interviews contributed to a better information transmitted to population. Seismologists concluded that a small local fault was a source of shocks; in November 2013, the swarm decreased and eventually ceased. National research projects, as ROEDUSEIS, SEISMOCODE, URBASRISK, BIGSEES and E-Pres Project co-funded by the European Commission, contribute to the professional awareness and guidance of engineers and architects, using seismic simulators, e-learning platforms and other new data. Based on WCDRR 2015 - Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, URBAN-INCERC and ECBR will provide inclusive risk-informed decision making based on the open exchange and dissemination of research results, available at regional scale in South-East of Europe.

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