Capacity Building for Earthquake Preparedness

Dr. Damodar Maity

Civil Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur

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Friday, May 17, 2013
 What is Earthquake?
An earthquake is a sudden violent motion of the earth,
which lasts for a short time, within a very limited region.
Most earthquakes last for less than a minute, but sometimes
shock may last, for as long as 3 to 4 minutes.
Earthquake- the vibration of the ground
Cause: Due to movement of rocks along a fault
– Rocks under stress accumulate strain energy over time.
– When stress exceeds strength of rocks, the rock breaks.
– Strain energy is released as seismic waves.
– The longer that energy is stored up and is maintained without
release, the more likely that a strong earthquake will occur.
– Continuing adjustment of position results in aftershocks
– Aftershock- tremors that occur as rocks adjust to their new
position

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 Types of Plate Boundaries
• Spreading Zone
- This is an area where two plates are moving apart from
one another
- Example: Mid-Atlantic Ridge
• Transform Fault
- This is where two plates are sliding past each other
- One example is the San Andreas Fault on the coast of
California and Northwestern Mexico
• Subduction Zone
- This is where one plate moves on top of another causing
one to be subducted into the mantle where it melts.
- One example is the Western Coast of South America near
Chile.

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 Worldwide distribution of Earthquakes

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 Where Do Earthquakes Occur
and How Often?
~80% of all earthquakes occur in the circum-Pacific belt
– most of these result from convergent margin activity
– ~15% occur in the Mediterranean-Asiatic belt
– remaining 5% occur in the interiors of plates and
on spreading ridge centers
– more than 1,50,000 quakes strong enough to be
felt are recorded each year

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 Frequency vs Depths
• 90% of Earthquakes occur within depths less than 100
km
• Majority of Catastrophic Earthquakes occur within
Depths less than 60-km Deep
– 1964 Alaska EQ ---- 33 km from surface
– 1995 Kobe, Japan--- 20 km from surface

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 Magnitude Vs. No. of Earthquakes
Magnitude Approximate Number per year
1 7,00,000
2 3,00,000
3 20,000
4 6,000
5 800
6 150
7 50
8 and above 1 in every few years

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 Direct Effects of Earthquakes
• Ground shaking
• Disruption of Utilities
• Damage to personal
items and buildings
• Water table
adjustment
• Aftershocks

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 Indirect Effects of Earthquakes
• Ground failures
• Landslides
• Subsidence (drop in elevation
of land due to removal of
water)
• Liquefaction (reduction in the
strength of saturated soils)
• Tsunamis (tidal waves)
• Flooding
• Fires from electrical
difficulties

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Capacity Building for Earthquake Preparedness
Priorities for Action:

Make Disaster Risk Reduction a Priority

Identify, Assess and Monitor Risk
(Such as we should have a realistic vulnerability map at the
micro level)
Build a culture of resilience through awareness, education
& training
(eg., peoples’ participation needs to be chalked out as how
people will participate in preparing it.)

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 Earthquake Forces

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Capacity Building for Earthquake Preparedness
Priorities for Action:

Reduce Risk in Key Sectors

(Public Buildings like hospital, school, transmitter tower,
bridge, nuclear power plant, dam etc. need to be made EQ.
Resistant.)

Strengthen Disaster Preparedness for Effective Response

(BIS and NBC codes may be incorporated in the states
depending upon their vulnerability.)
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 Capacity Building for Earthquake Preparedness

Strategies for vulnerability reduction before

earthquakes
• Development of Earthquake preparedness plans at grass
root level
• Public education on earthquake disasters through
awareness campaigns
• Enhance national capacities for the development and
implementation of a countrywide framework for disaster
risk preparedness, management and mitigation in
education sector

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Shape of House
L - Shape

Square
(Best)

Rectangular

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 B’
B
B

L
L
(b) I Type Plan with small Projection
(a) Rectangular Plan (L<3B) (L<3B, B’<B/3)

Fig. 7 Desirable Symmetrical Plans

B’

B
B
L

(a) Rectangular Plan (L>3B)

L

(b) I Type Plan with Long Projection

(B’> B/3)

Fig. 8 Undesirable Symmetrical Plans

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 (a) U Shape Plan (b) Unsymmetrical Plan

Fig. 9 Undesirable Unsymmetrical Plans

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 B
L<3B L<3B

(Separation gap for

long rectangular block Separation gap
(b) Separation gap for I type block

(c) Separation gap for U shape block (d) Separation gap for unsymmetrical block

Fig. 10 Uses of Separation Gaps to Improve Plans

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 Accurate detailing is
important

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 Horizontal Band is must

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 Strategies for vulnerability reduction before
earthquakes

•Safety measures must be incorporated in all types of

structures.
•Existing buildings and bridges needs to be retrofitted.
•Ensuring construction of Earthquake resistant buildings at
the administrative level throughout
•Seismic safety needs to be highlighted in the design itself.
•States can adopt the national codes or make their own
codes specific to the state.
•Fixing of responsibility of adhering to the building codes
and norms.
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 Danger of Open
Ground Storey

Courtesy: NICEE, NPEEE, IIT

Kanpur, BMTPC, New Delhi

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 Danger of Open
Ground Storey

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 Dissemination of the Earthquake
Preparedness Plan:

• Involving of media – both print and electronic in

dissemination of the earthquake preparedness plan
•Advertisements related to disasters prior, during and after
may be given in the media.
•Advertisements over radio, TV and other channels at peak
time of news. These advertisements can be region specific
and disaster specific in different local languages.
•Media needs to be sensitized and made a partner in
Disaster Mitigation.
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 Strategies for vulnerability reduction before
earthquakes
•Hospital safety may be given top priority Building and
equipment of Hospitals guidelines framed out by MHA
need to be followed strictly.
•Facility for stock piling of relief material at the district
Headquarters should be created.
•The District Authority should have a protocol to
manage the relief material.
• Assistance of various NGO can be sought.
•Simulation/Mock exercises can be carried out where all
the concerned functionaries will participate and an
assessment of the preparedness can be made.
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 Capacity Building for Earthquake Preparedness
2. Strategies for vulnerability reduction
during earthquakes

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 Dos and Donts for Protection

Courtesy: Dept. of Earthquake Engg. IIT Roorkiee

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, New Delhi
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 If you are caught indoors at the time of an earthquake:
• Keep calm.
• Stay away from glass windows, doors, almirahs, mirrors etc.
• Stay away from falling plaster, bricks or stones.

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 If you are caught indoors at the time of an earthquake:
• Get under a table or a sturdy cot so that you are not hurt by falling
objects.
• Do not rush towards the doors or staircase. They may be broken or
jammed.

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 If you are outdoors at the time of earthquake:
• If open space is available nearby, go there.
• Keep away from tall chimneys, buildings, balconies and other
projections.
• Do not run through streets; hoardings or lamps may fall on you.

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 After an earthquake:
• Check if you or anyone else is hurt. Use first aid at least on the cuts and
bruises.
• Keep the streets clear for emergency services.
• Switch off all appliances like the refrigerator, TV or radio.
• Wear shoes to protect your feet from debris.
• A battery operated radio will help you to get important messages.
• Be prepared for more shocks. These aftershocks always follow an
earthquake.
•Turn off the gas.

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Avoid the following in an earthquake:
• Do not crowd around damaged areas or buildings.
• Do not waste water. It will be needed for fire fighting.
• Do not move the seriously hurt people.
• Wait for medical help to arrive.
• Do not spread rumors. They lead to panic and worsen the situation

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 Thanks….

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