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RESEARCH IN THE DISASTER ZONE Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council I Case study 07
Thousands of people are killed each year as a result of earthquakes. The vast majority of deaths are caused by building failure.
Earthquake engineers, supported by EPSRC, are helping save lives around the globe by improving building safety and infrastructure design.
≥SAVING LIVES Earthquake engineers are saving lives using information from disaster hit regions.
IMPACT ON BUILDING SAFETY > Earthquake engineers are helping to save lives by using information gathered from disaster hit regions to constantly update and improve building methods. > New research tools – utilising the latest communications technology – are being developed to gather vital information that could lead to future improvements. Working on the frontline Dr Tiziana Rossetto is an EPSRCsupported earthquake engineer at University College London and part of the UK Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT). She has been part of research teams investigating the most powerful earthquakes of the last decade, including L’Aquila in Italy in 2009, the Sichuan region of China in 2008, Kashmir in 2005 and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. Frontline research is vital to updating building codes and mitigating the effects of future quakes. Earthquake engineers must act fast, to assess damage before it is cleared or repaired, and often work in dangerous and remote locations. “It is really important teams like us go in,” Dr Rossetto said. “An earthquake is almost a testing ground. You can simulate an earthquake in the lab but you have to reduce the model structures to such a scale they are not representative or it is extremely expensive. In any case, you would never be able to test the variety of structural systems and building techniques that exist.
“Every earthquake has taught us more and the lessons learnt are incorporated into the building codes,” added Dr Rossetto. “For example, the engineering community thought steel buildings were ductile and would have no problems resisting earthquakes. Then the Northridge earthquake happened in 1994 in the USA and caused the failure of many steel buildings. “It was seen that the building system was not the problem but the welding procedure followed created brittle welds which fractured in the earthquake. Subsequently provisions have been added to building codes to prevent this happening. Every earthquake teaches us something and every earthquake is different.” A new approach to research At UCL, Dr Rossetto is leading the Earthquake and People Interaction Centre (Epicentre), supported by EPSRC. The centre is pioneering a new approach to earthquake engineering that includes social sciences and psychology. The team, in collaboration with other groups, is also developing new tools that will help co-ordinate and improve the amount of vital information gathered on the ground. The Virtual Disaster Viewer project will allow greater co-ordination of field missions between international research groups, global collaboration and interpretation of findings and remote evidence gathering for inaccessible areas. For more information about EPSRC and the impact it is making visit www.epsrc.ac.uk
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Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
PROTECTING PEOPLE FROM EARTHQUAKES
www.epsrc.ac.uk