2nd General Meeting KnowRISK Knowyour city, Reduce seISmic risKthrough non-structural elements.

Abstract

The European project KnowRISK (Know your city, reduce seISmic risK through non-structural elements) is
a European Commission project in the area of Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection whose primary aim is
the reduction of seismic risk by actions on non-structural elements that can be performed by common
citizens, thus contributing to promote communities fast recovery and resilience.
Even though the main source of victims in earthquakes is the collapse of constructions, damage in nonstructural
elements also contributes to increase the death toll. In many situations, especially in developed
countries, non-structural damage is the main source of economic losses. And developed societies have
become increasingly demanding in what regards the control of economic losses due to seismic events. A key
factor for the reduction of economic losses is the protection of non-structural elements, this is, the contents of
buildings and non-structural elements of the building, which usually account for 70% to 80% of its cost. In
the cases of seismic events, where there isn’t a large number of victims, economic losses becomes one of the
strongest consequences of earthquakes. This is the case for well-built buildings, as the enforcement of
modern codes of practice for earthquake resistant design aim at preventing collapse but not vibration of the
buildings, thus not avoiding non-structural damage, especially to the contents. Also in very strong
earthquakes, as seismic waves attenuate as the distance to the epicenter increases, soil vibrations become not
strong enough to induce collapse of buildings but are still strong enough to cause cracking to non-structural
elements of the buildings and damage to the contents, being economic losses the most relevant consequence
of the earthquake in those zones.
For the purpose of reducing non-structural damage it is necessary to decrease the knowledge gap between the
scientific community and the stakeholders that may apply that knowledge. Therefore, a relevant part of this
project is directed towards transferring information to the public, in order that common citizens can take
action at their own homes to reduce damage from future earthquakes. As for this purpose it is necessary to
combine knowledge from different fields, the project team comprises engineers, seismologists, architects,
sociologists, and other professionals that cooperate in order to produce the best possible results. In order to
achieve the proposed results, the project comprises the following main tasks:
-­‐ Identification of non-structural elements that may cause damage or reduce the functionality of
buildings.
-­‐ Identification of solutions for the strengthening of non-structural elements.
-­‐ Assessing the level of awareness of stakeholders and citizens.
-­‐ Promoting risk awareness between stakeholders and citizens.
The two first tasks are essentially of a technical nature, within the scope of expertise of project members.
The last two tasks will be achieved by means of the development of a practical Guide of solutions for the
strengthening of non-structural elements and other dissemination tools, participatory forums with local
communities and other risk awareness initiatives that contribute to the spreading of knowledge by the
population.
During the 2nd General Meeting in Catania, Italy, on 15-17th December 2016, the development of the project
will be assessed and discussed by means of oral presentations, posters and discussions between team
members and stakeholders