New Publications: Earthquake Engineering & Disaster Mitigation
Aldrich, D.P. (2012). Building resilience: Social capital in post-disaster recovery. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. 978-0-226-01288-9. 232 pages. $27.50. Available from: Customer Service, Chicago Distribution Center, 11030 South Langley Avenue, Chicago IL, 60628 (tel: 800-621-2736; fax: 800-621-8476; Email: orders@press.uchicago.edu;Web site: www.press.uchicago.edu/).
This monograph highlights the critical role of social capital in the ability of a community to withstand disaster and rebuild both the infrastructure and the ties that are at the foundation of any community. The author examines the post-disaster responses of four distinct communities—Tokyo following the 1923 earthquake, Kobe after the 1995 earthquake, Tamil Nadu after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and New Orleans post-Katrina—and finds that those with robust social networks were better able to coordinate recovery. In addition to quickly disseminating information and financial and physical assistance, communities with an abundance of social capital were able to minimize the migration of people and valuable resources out of the area.
Cardenas-Jiron, L.A. (Ed.). (2012). Chilean earthquake and tsunami 2010: a multidisciplinary study of Mw 8.8, Maule. Southampton, UK: WIT Press. 978-1-84564-670-7. 172 pages. $148.00. Computational Mechanics, Inc., 25 Bridge Street, Billerica, MA 01821; Email: marketingUSA@witpress.com;Web site: www.witpress.com).
The book discusses the Chilean earthquake that occurred on 27 February 2010. It reached a magnitude of 8.8 Mw and had its epicenter in Cobquecura, in the Bio- Bio region. The phenomenon mainly affected central Chile, which comprises the regions of Araucanía, Bio- Bio, Maule, General O´Higgins, Valparaiso and Metropolitan. As of February 2010, it was the fifth largest earthquake ever to have occurred on a worldwide scale. The book presents a comprehensive view of the occurrence, organized in six chapters written by authors from different disciplines. The contributions come from the fields of geophysics, hydro-mechanical engineering, telecommunication, geographic information systems, urban and design planning, building engineering, architecture and urbanism.
Cui, S., Bruneau, M., & Constantinou, M.C. (2012). Integrated design methodology for isolated floor systems in single-degree-of-freedom structural fuse systems. MCEER-12-0004. Buffalo, NY: MCEER. 448 pages. Available from: MCEER, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 133A Ketter Hall, Buffalo, New York, 14261-4300 (tel: 716-645-3391; fax: 716-645-3733; Email: mceer@buffalo.edu;Web site: www.mceer.buffalo.edu).
To protect the acceleration sensitive equipment, a possible solution may be to combine the stiffening of structures using passive hysteretic energy dissipation (PED) devices with a strategy of introducing isolated floors in the rooms where such acceleration-sensitive equipment is located. Two kinds of isolated floor systems were studied in this research. Characterization tests were first conducted on two kinds of isolated floor systems to define their mechanical behavior properties, from single isolators to complete systems. The experimentally obtained mechanical behavior was then simulated in computer programs. Models of single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) structural fuse frames with implementation of these two isolated floor systems were developed. A number of parametric studies were then conducted on these combined systems to determine the preferred design parameter values to be used in the design of such structural fuse frames coupled with isolated floors, and to establish how the combined systems behave under different mass ratios of the isolated floor system to the base SDOF structural fuse structure. Finally, combined design concepts considering both the design of the base SDOF structural fuse structure and the design of the isolated floor system on top were developed for each kind of isolated floor system.
Duyne Barenstein, J.E. & Leeman, E. (Eds.). (2013). Post-disaster reconstruction and change: Communities' perspectives. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. ISBN: 978-1-4398-8815-5. 368 pages. $79.95. Available from: CRC Press LLC, Attn: Order Entry, 6000 Broken Sound Parkway, NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487 (tel: 800-272-7737; fax: 800-374-3401; Email: orders@crcpress.com;Web site: www.crcpress.com).
This monograph explores community viewpoints on post-disaster aid provided by external agencies and demonstrates how equity and effectiveness are affected by community social organization, power structures, and leadership capacities. The book further focuses on how external aid in turn affects community livelihoods, cultures, and social organizations. Each chapter serves as a real-world case study based on several months of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in India, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Argentina. This book shows how different communities have coped with and responded to various external interventions. Focusing on housing reconstruction and the restoration of livelihood, the authors demonstrate that changes in settlement location, morphology, housing materials, and design produce multiple cascading consequences for the inhabitants of reconstructed settlements. Ultimately, the book establishes the importance of integrating community perspectives in policies and programs for sustainable post-disaster reconstruction—enabling greater resiliency as well as future disaster risk reduction.
Lago, A. & Sullivan, T.J. (2011). Review of glass facade systems and research into the seismic design of frameless glass facades. Research Report No. ROSE-2011/01. Pavia, Italy: Istituto Universsitario di Studi Superiori di Pavia (IUSS Press). ISBN: 978-88-6198-059-4. 166 pages. $33.00. Available from: IUSS Press, IUSS, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy (tel: +39-0382-516911; fax: +39-0382-529131; Email: info@iusspress.it;Web site: www.iusspress.it).
This report reviews the numerous glass facade systems that are currently available in the construction industry. The characteristics of different types of glass, sealant and structural systems used for façade systems are described and critical design considerations discussed. The report then identifies a modeling and analysis approach to study the in-plane behavior of glass systems with structural adhesive joints and steel boundary frames. A numerical model is calibrated against experimental testing results from the literature. Having calibrated the modeling approach, a series of pushover analyses are then conducted to investigate the in-plane response of multi-pane façade systems, considering a range of glass and sealant thicknesses, and different pane configurations. The last part of the report proposes a simple mechanical model for the prediction of the displacement capacity of frameless glass façade systems.
Pennucci, D., Sullivan, T.J., & Calvi, G.M. (2011). Performance-based seismic design of tall rc wall buildings. Research Report No. ROSE-2011/02. Pavia, Italy: Istituto Universsitario di Studi Superiori di Pavia (IUSS Press). ISBN: 978-88-6198-060-0. 319 pages. $33.00. Available from: IUSS Press, IUSS, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy (tel: +39-0382-516911; fax: +39-0382-529131; Email: info@iusspress.it;Web site: www.iusspress.it).
Recent years have seen great expansion of the tall building industry, even in areas characterized by high seismicity. The structural systems that are usually adopted in tall buildings and the seismic response that they exhibit can differ substantially from those characterizing low-rise construction. Seismic codes, though, are typically envisaged for the design of traditional structural systems, and are not able to take into account some peculiar characteristics of tall buildings. Recognizing such issues, and to overcome the inappropriate prescriptions that traditional seismic codes impose on the design of modern tall buildings, alternative design procedures have become more acceptable in recent years. These innovative approaches to tall building design are referred to as performance-based design methods.
Scott, S. (Interviewer). (2012). Roy G. Johnston. Connections: EERI Oral History Series volume 20. Oakland, CA: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI). ISBN: 978-1-932884-53-1. 130 pages. $15.00. Available from: EERI, 499 14th Street, #320, Oakland, CA 94612-1934 (tel: 510-451-0905; fax: 510-451-5411; Email: eeri@eeri.org;Web site: www.eeri.org).
The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) began the Oral History Series to preserve the recollections of some of those who have had pioneering careers in the field of earthquake engineering. Significant, even revolutionary, changes have occurred in earthquake engineering since individuals first began thinking in modern, scientific ways about how to protect construction and society from earthquakes. This publication serves as a vehicle for transmitting the fascinating accounts of individuals who were present at the beginning of important developments in the field, documenting sometimes little-known facts about this history, and recording their impressions, judgments, and experiences from a personal standpoint. The subject of the nineteenth volume of this series is Roy G. Johnston.
Syngellakis, S. (Ed.) (2012). Seismic control systems: Design and performance assessment. Southampton, UK: WIT Press. 978-1-84564-672-1. 195 pages. $186.00. Computational Mechanics, Inc., 25 Bridge Street, Billerica, MA 01821; Email: marketingUSA@witpress.com;Web site: www.witpress.com).
This book disseminates knowledge, increases awareness on this very critical subject, and thus ultimately contributes to a safer structural design against earthquakes. It comprises a number of articles taken from recent editions of Transactions of the Wessex Institute covering a wide range of topics within the subject of seismic protection through vibration control devices. The first four papers provide a very comprehensive review of existing seismic control designs highlighting their variety, the effectiveness of their performance, as well as the extent of their use for the protection of various types of structures worldwide. Most articles deal with anti-seismic devices implementing passive control of structural response through seismic isolation and energy dissipation. Testing and modeling energy-dissipating systems are also extensively covered in the book. It is also important to understand how existing structures fitted with seismic control devices perform against earthquakes. Two such case studies are included in the book; a roof isolated from the top of an existing structure and a bridge supported on both isolating and damping systems. Finally, new analytical approaches for optimizing the performance of tuned mass dampers are detailed in two companion papers.
Yeats, R. (2012). Active faults of the world. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 978-0-521-19085-5. 621 pages. $85.00. Available from: Cambridge University Press, 100 Brook Hill Drive, West Nyack, NY 10994-2133 (tel: 800-872-7423; fax: 845-353-4141; Email: orders@cup.org;Web site: www.cambridge.org).
This monograph provides the first worldwide survey of active earthquake faults and focuses on those described as 'seismic time bombs' – with the potential to destroy large cities in the developing world such as Port au Prince, Kabul, Tehran and Caracas. The author explores both the regional and plate-tectonic context of active faults, providing the background for seismic hazard evaluation in planning large-scale projects such as nuclear power plants or hydroelectric dams. The author also highlights work done in more advanced seismogenic countries like Japan, the United States, New Zealand and China, providing an important basis for upgrading building standards and other laws in developing nations. The book also explores the impact of major quakes on social development through history.