JAPANESE HELP IN SEISMIC MICROZONATION
AND DAMAGE PREDICTION
Japanese help was sought in seismic
microzonation and damage prediction. Japan is one of the countries
which has vast experience and advanced knowledge in the field of
earthquake engineering. At the request of the Central Building Research
Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, the Japan International Co-operation
Agency (JICA) sent its experts to help in the field. Seismic microzonation
and predicting damage scenario of vulnerable cities is presently
a major activity at the CBRI.
The experience of
Japan in three important areas, namely, seismic microzonation
using micro-tremor technique, vulnerability assessment of existing
buildings and application of Geographical Information System (GIS)
in earthquake engineering. The Japanese experts also undertook
field visits of several earthquake hit and prone areas including
Dehradun and Gujarat. They carried out field studies at various
locations using the micro-tremor equipment. In Gujarat they visited
the sites of new constructions and those where repair and retrofitting
work was being carried out by the public as well as private agencies
in Ahmedabad and Bhuj. Spot suggestions and corrections were tendered.
The possible areas of earthquake engineering for safer development
of Uttaranchal with the help of CBRI and Japanese experts were
identified. High level meetings were also held in New Delhi with
seismological experts, to explore the possibility of international
collaborative projects in the field of earthquake engineering.
Meanwhile, the CBRI
equipped with Japanese expertise, has undertaken a study of seismic
vulnerability of buildings in Jabalpur urban areas. This area
is prone to recurrent seismicity, due to Son-Narmada South Fault.
Macro seismic surveys of the earthquake effects of the area indicate,
site-dependent ground amplifications increasing the vulnerability
of the built-environment to seismic hazards.
