The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program award is to develop multi-scale models to evaluate the impacts of retrofit design and policy on a community for earthquake risk reduction. The emphasis on retrofit is motivated by the large number of older buildings that predate major changes to seismic code provisions and, as a result, are vulnerable to earthquake-induced damage. To date, progress in retrofitting these buildings has been slow to significantly reduce risk of damage, in part because building owners find retrofit costs are expensive in competitive market. This research addresses the problem of seismic retrofit at three levels of analysis: individual buildings, communities, and policy choices. The study will begin by developing a probabilistic methodology for classifying and characterizing retrofitted structures for the purpose of systematically assessing the fragility of retrofitted buildings and the reduction in seismic risk. These evaluations will be combined, using advanced methods to quantify correlations and interdependencies in structural response, to produce community-scale assessments of seismic risk. The research will also model the influence of retrofit policies on community seismic risk reduction, incorporating historical data on policy implementation.
The outcome of this research will be a framework for evaluating seismic retrofit and other potential mitigation alternatives through integrated assessment of structural response and community impacts. The methodology lays the groundwork for a re-evaluation not only of seismic retrofit and policy making, but also mitigation activities to reduce risks from other hazards. The integrated education plans will lead to the development of new service-learning course modules. In these modules, students will partner with Colorado-based non-profit organizations that help needy individuals and organizations build and improve homes or other facilities. These service learning modules are a vehicle to improve practical learning about structural analysis, design and retrofit, to improve retention of diverse and motivated students in structural engineering, and to prepare students to be leading practitioners in dealing with vulnerable existing buildings. Curriculum materials developed for service learning will be made available to other faculty and universities.
