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Vulnerability assessment for reinforced concrete buildings exposed to landslides

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Abstract

The methodologies available for the analytical quantification of the vulnerability of buildings which are subject to actions resulting from slope instabilities and landslides are relatively limited in comparison with other components of quantitative landslide risk assessment. This paper provides a general methodology for calculating the vulnerabilities of reinforced concrete frame structures that are subject to three types of slope instability: slow-moving landslides, rapid flow-type slides and rockfalls. The vulnerability is expressed using sets of fragility curves. A description of the general framework and of the specialised procedures employed is presented here, separately for each landslide mechanism, through the example of a single-bay one-storey reinforced concrete frame. The properties of the frame are taken into account as variables with associated uncertainties. The derived vulnerability curves presented here can be used directly by risk assessment practitioners without having to repeat the procedure, given the expected range of landslide intensities and for similar building typologies and ranges of structural characteristics. This permits the applicability of the calculated vulnerability to a wide variety of similar frames for a range of landslide intensity parameters.

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Notes

  1. Study Centre for Seismic, Volcanic and Hydrogeological Engineering (University of Naples Federico II) and Centre of Competence of the National Department of Civil Protection.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the support of the SAFELAND project (grant agreement 226479) funded by the European Commission within its Seventh Framework Programme, and the project Big Risk, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (contract number BIA2008-06614).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geotechnical Engineering and Geosciences, Technical University of Catalonia, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    O. Mavrouli & J. Corominas

  2. Research Unit of Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics, Department of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloníki, Greece

    S. Fotopoulou & K. Pitilakis

  3. Analysis and Monitoring of Environmental Risk (AMRA), University of Naples, 80125, Naples, Italy

    G. Zuccaro, A. Santo, F. Cacace, D. De Gregorio & G. Di Crescenzo

  4. Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture, University of Naples, Naples, Italy

    G. Zuccaro, F. Cacace & D. De Gregorio

  5. Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

    A. Santo

  6. Seismic Mechanical Study Laboratory, CEA/Nuclear Energy Division, 91191, Gif sur Yvette CEDEX, France

    E. Foerster

  7. Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), 45100, Orléans, France

    T. Ulrich

  8. PLINIVS Study Centre, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

    G. Zuccaro, F. Cacace & D. De Gregorio

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  1. O. Mavrouli
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  11. T. Ulrich
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Correspondence to O. Mavrouli or J. Corominas.

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Mavrouli, O., Fotopoulou, S., Pitilakis, K. et al. Vulnerability assessment for reinforced concrete buildings exposed to landslides. Bull Eng Geol Environ 73, 265–289 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-014-0573-0

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