Resumo (PT):
Abstract (EN):
Regions with a significant percentage of old and/or non-seismically designed buildings, located in areas with
deficient urban planning, are particularly vulnerable to natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis and floods.
Algeria has been a victim of earthquakes in the northern part of the country e.g., El Asnam in 1980 (Mw 7.1) and
Boumerdes in 2003 (Mw 6.8), where significant human and economic losses were endured. Using large-scale
seismic risk assessment is becoming a common trend around the world to attempt to reduce potential losses from
this type of events. Seismic risk assessment requires the development of three models: seismic hazard, exposure,
and vulnerability of the exposed assets. Typically, exposure and vulnerability models for natural hazard risk
assessment rely on proxies, such as census data and local experts’ opinion for distribution of population and
buildings. In this paper, the development of an exposure model for Northern Algeria begins by covering a wellidentified seismic prone region, the province of Blida, as a first-case study city. Subsequently, a step forward is
provided by engaging different Algerian stakeholders in the collection of building data employing a user-friendly
Android smartphone/tablet application designated by Building Inventory Tool (BIT). This initiative aims not
merely to build exposure and vulnerability models but also to increase the risk awareness among local population
and practitioners.
Language:
English
Type (Professor's evaluation):
Scientific
No. of pages:
11