Development of a Preliminary Seismic Risk Screening Tool for Existing Buildings in Canada

Abstract

This paper presents a preliminary seismic risk screening tool to identify buildings whose superior structural and non-structural seismic performance in regions of low seismicity can be assessed based on several key attributes. The tool is designed to exempt buildings from detailed seismic risk assessment if key exemption criteria are met. The exemption criteria are based on: a seismic categorization system linked to anticipated building damage and seismicity; whether or not the building was designed using modern seismic design provisions; and the remaining time that the building will be occupied. The tool also provides a second list of criteria, which if satisfied, will automatically trigger further detailed seismic risk assessment. The decisions rendered by the tool regarding the expected seismic performance of a building are evaluated against the next level of seismic risk screening tool to ensure the consistency. A flowchart is presented to facilitate adoption of the tool by practicing engineers and other end-users.

Publication
Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, Vol. 45, No. 9, pg. 717-727