Earthquake Vulnerability and Repair Cost Estimation of Masonry Buildings in the Old City Center of Annaba, Algeria

The seismic risk mitigation from the perspective of the old buildings stock is truly essential in Algerian urban areas, particularly those located in seismic prone regions, such as Annaba city, and which the old buildings present high levels of degradation associated with no seismic strengthening and/or rehabilitation concerns. In this sense, the present paper approaches the issue of the seismic vulnerability assessment of old masonry building stocks through the adaptation of a simplified methodology developed for a European context area similar to that of Annaba city, Algeria. Therefore, this method is used for the first level of seismic vulnerability assessment of the masonry buildings stock of the old city center of Annaba. This methodology is based on a vulnerability index that is suitable for the evaluation of damage and for the creation of large-scale loss scenarios. Over 380 buildings were evaluated in accordance with the referred methodology and the results obtained were then integrated into a Geographical Information System (GIS) tool. Such results can be used by the Annaba city council for supporting management decisions, based on a global view of the site under analysis, which led to more accurate and faster decisions for the risk mitigation strategies and rehabilitation plans.

Authors:

• Allaeddine Athmani
• Abdelhacine Gouasmia
• Tiago Ferreira
• Romeu Vicente

Keywords:

• Damage scenarios
• masonry buildings
• old city center
• seismic vulnerability
• vulnerability index.

References:

[1] R. Vicente, T. Ferreira, R. Mario, H. Varum, A. Costa, et al., “Seismic
vulnerability assessment of existing masonry buildings: case study of the
old city center of faro, Portugal”. Second European conference on
earthquake engineering and seismology. Istanbul, Turkey2014. p. 9.
[2] A. Senouci, P. Bard, M. Farsi, E. Beck, S. Cartier, “Robustness and
uncertainties of seismic damage estimates at urban scale: a
methodological comparison on the example of the city of Oran
(Algeria)”, Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering. 2013; 11(4):1191-215.
[3] DUCH. “CTC documents: Technical expertise study of the old buildings
in the city of Annaba. Annaba, Algeria”, Direction of Urban planning
and Construction of Habitation, 2010.
[4] CTC. “Technical expertise study of the old buildings in the city of
Annaba. Annaba, Algeria”, Technical organism officially in charge of
the Technical Control of Construction of Annaba city, 2010.
[5] A. E. Athmani, T. Ferreira, R. Vicente, A. Gouasmia, A. Khemis.
“Processing of the CTC data survey for seismic vulnerability assessment
of the masonry buildings located in Annaba city, Algeria”, Aveiro,
Portugal: University of Aveiro, 2014. p. 20.
[6] DPBM. “Monographic directory of Annaba city. Annaba, Algeria”,
Direction of Programming and Budget Monitoring, 2011.
[7] DUC. “Land use plan of the old town of Annaba city. Annaba, Algeria”,
Direction of urbanism and Construction, 2006.
[8] A. E. Athmani, A. Gouasmia, T. Ferreira, R. Vicente, A. Khemis.
“Seismic vulnerability assessment of historical masonry buildings
located in Annaba city (Algeria) using non ad-hoc data survey”, Bulletin
of Earthquake Engineering. 2014:1-25.
[9] R. Vicente. “Strategies and methodologies for urban rehabilitation
interventions. The vulnerability assessment and risk evaluation of the
old city centre of Coimbra”, (PhD thesis). Aveiro, Portugal: University
of Aveiro, 2008.
[10] D. Benedetti, G Benzoni, MA Parisi. “Seismic vulnerability and risk
evaluation for old urban nuclei”, Earthquake Engineering & Structural
Dynamics. 1988; 16(2):183-201.
[11] R. Vicente, S. Parodi, S. Lagomarsino, H. Varum, J. A. R., “Mendes da
Silva. Seismic vulnerability assessment, damage scenarios and loss
estimation: case study of the old city centre of Coimbra, Portugal”,14th
Wold Conference on Earthquake Engineering. Beijing, China2008.
[12] T. Ferreira, R. Vicente, H. Varum, A. Costa,“Seismic vulnerability
assessment of the old city centre of Seixal, Portugal”, Lisbon,
Portugal2012. p. 1-8.
[13] R. Vicente, S. Parodi, S. Lagomarsino, H. Varum, J. Silva,“Seismic
vulnerability and risk assessment: case study of the historic city centre of
Coimbra, Portugal”, Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering. 2011; 9(4):
1067-96.
[14] T. M. Ferreira, R. Vicente, J.A.R. Mendes da Silva, H. Varum, A. Costa,
“Seismic vulnerability assessment of historical urban centres: case study
of the old city centre in Seixal, Portugal”,Bulletin of Earthquake
Engineering. 2013;11(5):1753-73.
[15] G. Grünthal “L’Echelle Macrosismique Européenne (EMS98). Conseil
de l’Europe”, Cahiers du Centre Européen de Géodynamique et de
Séismologie1998.
[16] RISK-UE, “An advanced approach to earthquake risks scenarios with to
applications different European towns”, WP4: Vulnerability of Current
Buildings. 2003.
[17] S.Giovinazzi,“The vulnerability assessment and the damage scenario in
seismic risk analysis,” (Dissertation): Technical University Carolo-
Wilhelmina at Braunschweig and University of Florence 2005.
[18] S. Lagomarsino, S Giovinazzi, “Macroseismic and mechanical models
for the vulnerability and damage assessment of current buildings”,
Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering. 2006;4(4):415-43.
[19] M. Dolce, A. Kappos, A. Masi, G. Penelis, M. Vona,“Vulnerability
assessment and earthquake damage scenarios of the building stock of
Potenza (Southern Italy) using Italian and Greek methodologies”,
Engineering Structures. 2006;28(3):357-71.
[20] F. Bramerini, G. Di Pasquale, A. Orsini, A. Pugliese, R. Romeo,
“Rischio sismico del territorio italiano. Proposta per una metodologia e
risultati preliminari”, Roma: Rapporto tecnico del Servizio Sismico
Nazionale, SSN/RT/95/01, 1995.