CAREER: A Multi-scale Methodology for Assessing the Reductions in Seismic Risk Possible through Building Retrofit Design and Policy, from Buildings to Communities

该学院早期职业发展（Career）项目奖的研究目标是开发多尺度模型，以评估改造设计和政策对社区减少地震风险的影响。强调改造的动机是，在地震规范规定发生重大变化之前，大量的旧建筑很容易受到地震引起的破坏。迄今为止，这些建筑物的改造进展缓慢，无法显著降低损坏风险，部分原因是建筑物所有者发现，在竞争激烈的市场中，改造成本高昂。本研究从三个层面分析了抗震改造问题：个体建筑、社区和政策选择。这项研究将首先开发一种概率方法，对改造后的结构进行分类和描述，以便系统地评估改造后的建筑物的脆弱性和减少地震风险。这些评估将结合起来，使用先进的方法来量化结构反应中的相关性和相互依赖性，以产生社区规模的地震风险评估。该研究还将模拟改造政策对降低社区地震风险的影响，并纳入政策实施的历史数据。这项研究的结果将是一个框架，通过对结构反应和社区影响的综合评估来评估抗震改造和其他潜在的缓解方案。该方法不仅为重新评估抗震改造和政策制定，而且为减少其他灾害风险的减灾活动奠定了基础。综合教育计划将导致新的服务学习课程模块的发展。在这些模块中，学生将与科罗拉多州的非营利组织合作，帮助有需要的个人和组织建造和改善房屋或其他设施。这些服务学习模块是提高结构分析，设计和改造实践学习的工具，以提高结构工程中多样化和积极的学生的保留率，并使学生成为处理脆弱现有建筑的主要实践者。为服务学习编写的课程材料将提供给其他教员和大学。

The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program award is to develop multi-scale models to evaluate the impacts of retrofit design and policy on a community for earthquake risk reduction. The emphasis on retrofit is motivated by the large number of older buildings that predate major changes to seismic code provisions and, as a result, are vulnerable to earthquake-induced damage. To date, progress in retrofitting these buildings has been slow to significantly reduce risk of damage, in part because building owners find retrofit costs are expensive in competitive market. This research addresses the problem of seismic retrofit at three levels of analysis: individual buildings, communities, and policy choices. The study will begin by developing a probabilistic methodology for classifying and characterizing retrofitted structures for the purpose of systematically assessing the fragility of retrofitted buildings and the reduction in seismic risk. These evaluations will be combined, using advanced methods to quantify correlations and interdependencies in structural response, to produce community-scale assessments of seismic risk. The research will also model the influence of retrofit policies on community seismic risk reduction, incorporating historical data on policy implementation. The outcome of this research will be a framework for evaluating seismic retrofit and other potential mitigation alternatives through integrated assessment of structural response and community impacts. The methodology lays the groundwork for a re-evaluation not only of seismic retrofit and policy making, but also mitigation activities to reduce risks from other hazards. The integrated education plans will lead to the development of new service-learning course modules. In these modules, students will partner with Colorado-based non-profit organizations that help needy individuals and organizations build and improve homes or other facilities. These service learning modules are a vehicle to improve practical learning about structural analysis, design and retrofit, to improve retention of diverse and motivated students in structural engineering, and to prepare students to be leading practitioners in dealing with vulnerable existing buildings. Curriculum materials developed for service learning will be made available to other faculty and universities.