Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Buildings for Seismic Retrofitting Strategies: Rapid Visual Screening Method

Abstract

The objective of this study is to provide the assessment of the seismic vulnerability of R.C.C. and Load bearing structures by the Rapid Visual Screening Method. As Rapid Visual Screening is a preliminary stage to conducting a Simplified Vulnerability Assessment of the building.The rapid visual screening procedure requires only a visual evaluation and a few additional details. These procedures are recommended for all buildings. Rapid Visual Screening score has been evaluated for the various building which suggests further assessment for Seismic Vulnerability. India is expected to be the most populous country in the world by 2025. India has a huge volume of building stocks at present, and most of them are significantly vulnerable to earthquake hazards. In order to overcome this issue, firstly it is required to conduct the seismic vulnerability assessment at a massive scale of building stocks and buildings with a high probability of damage further evaluated with the simplified vulnerability assessment method procedures. After a detailed evaluation, it recommends a suitable retrofitting strategy. In this paper, we have studied various parameters of the Rapid Visual Screening method and the procedure to conduct it. Keywords: Seismic vulnerability, Existing Building, Simplified Vulnerability Assessment, Method, Rapid Visual Screening, Detailed vulnerability assessment.