Seismic Safety and Resilience of Schools in Nepal

该项目旨在制定一项全面计划，以加强尼泊尔学校建筑物的地震安全和复原力。复原力循环始于一个整体的地震灾害评估，考虑到精细的地质测绘、三维场地和地形影响以及使用统计聚类模型的地震活动序列。随后将开发智能诊断专家系统应用程序，用于可靠的地震前和地震后结构检查。其核心逻辑将基于美国FEMA和ATC-20 i标准，扩展以解决功能风险，基于希腊和土耳其现有校舍数据库中识别的检查错误模式减少检查偏差。上述最先进的危害和脆弱性评估将导致根据风险确定需要加强的学校的优先次序。诊断算法的重点将放在识别轻微至中度损坏的建筑物上，这些建筑物的安全性可以通过创新而简单的措施得到大幅改善。 沿着这些路线，将通过大型和/或全尺寸、一层一间教室、3D砖石和/或土坯/夯实土简易建筑以及一个开间R/C填充框架的实验测试来确定维修和改造的方法，这些测试将在布里斯托大学和南安普顿大学与纽约州立大学布拉福大学合作的振动台上进行。实验将与尼泊尔的项目当地合作伙伴共同设计，并将在那里进行初步的材料测试。目的是设计一个切合尼泊尔学校建筑特点的实际测试活动。通过实验研究和数值验证，将在实验室中获得对结构损伤模式的深刻理解，在现实的主震和余震序列下的累积损伤，这是一个从未在这种程度上研究过的问题。将测试创新的维修和改造技术，以评估和优化其效率，通过一个额外的实验组。将与当地合作伙伴一起测试、共同制作并以指南的形式记录精炼和简单的解决方案。使用天然材料进行隔震的创新概念将是实验研究的第二个主要方面，以更安全地“滑动”建造学校建筑和避难所。该项目旨在为低成本、高安全性的重建提供一种新的选择。然后将制定一项全面的震后脆弱性评估，考虑区域材料，并采用微观和中观脆弱性模型，以便在震后响应、恢复和减灾阶段做出明智的决策。这将以尼泊尔现有的应急计划为基础，具体目标是通过在几乎真实的时间内整合震后震动地图来丰富决策过程。还将开发一个平板电脑应用程序，用于基于基于光谱的FAST算法对地震后结构健康进行可靠的诊断，FAST算法是一种在地震活跃的地中海国家经过测试的方法。一个专家系统将进一步将确定的损坏状态与最适当的维修/改造/康复技术联系起来，因为后者已经在实验室中进行了识别，测试和认证。在整个项目期间，将在尼泊尔组织一系列研讨会和培训课程，以便与当地政府以及工程和教育界进行互动。这种互动被认为对于共同发展新概念、转让专门知识和尼泊尔农村和城市地区学校的可持续建设至关重要。

This project aims at developing a comprehensive scheme for enhancing the seismic safety and resilience of school buildings in Nepal. The circle of resilience initiates from a holistic seismic hazard assessment considering refined geological mapping, 3D site and topographic effects as well as seismicity sequence using statistical clustering models. This will be followed by the development of a smart diagnostics expert system app for reliable pre- and post-earthquake structural inspection. Its core logic will be based on US FEMA and ATC-20i standards extended to address functionality risks, inspection bias reduction based on inspection error patterns identified in the existing school buildings databases in Greece and Turkey. The above state-of-the-art hazard and vulnerability assessments will lead to the risk-based prioritization of schools that need strengthening. Particular emphasis in the diagnostics algorithm will be placed in identifying buildings with minor-to moderate damage, whose safety could be substantially improved with innovative yet simple measures. Along these lines, means of repair and retrofit will be identified by experimental testing of large and/or full scale, one storey-one classroom, 3D masonry and/or adobe/rammed earth simple buildings, as well as of one bay R/C infill frame, to be conducted at the shaking table of the University of Bristol and the University of Southampton in collaboration with the University of Bullafo, SUNY. Experiments will be co-designed with the project local partners in Nepal, where preliminary material testing will take place. The aim is to design a realistic testing campaign tailored to the construction characteristics of school buildings in Nepal. A deep understanding of the structural damage patterns will be obtained in the Laboratory by studying experimentally and verifying numerically, the cumulative damage under realistic mainshock and aftershock sequences, an issue that has never been studied at this extent. Innovative repair and retrofit techniques will be tested in order to assess and optimize their efficiency through an additional experimental set. Refined and simple solutions will be tested, co-produced and documented in the form of guidelines along with the local partners. An innovative concept of seismic isolation using natural materials will be the second major strand of experimental research for safer "sliding" construction of school buildings and shelters. This is aimed to provide a new alternative for low cost - high safety reconstruction.A comprehensive post-quake vulnerability assessment will then be developed accounting for regional materials and employing micro- and meso-fragility modelling for informed decision-making during the post-earthquake response, recovery and mitigation phases. This will build upon the existing emergency plans in Nepal with the specific aim to enrich the decision-making process by integrating post-quake shake maps in nearly real time. A tablet app will also be developed for reliable diagnostics of post-quake structural health based on the spectral-based FAST algorithm, a tested method in seismically active Mediterranean countries. An expert system will further link the identified damage states with the most appropriate repair/retrofit/rehabilitation techniques, as the latter have been identified, tested and certified previously in the Lab. During the entire duration of the project a series of workshops and training sessions will be organised in Nepal in order to interact with the local administration as well as the engineering and educational community. This interaction is deemed vital for the co-development of new concepts, the transfer of know-how and the sustainable construction of schools in both rural and urban areas of Nepal.