Seismic vulnerability assessment of schools designated as post-disaster shelters in Montréal

Abstract

This research aims to assess the seismic risk associated to the non-structural components (NSCs), also known in Canada as operational and functional components (OFCs), of 16 schools designated as post-disaster shelters in Montréal by the Civil Safety Department of the City of Montréal. An improved deterministic structural vulnerability index (VI) is calculated using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The new VI considers the main structural parameters considered in a previous study conducted at McGill University using the seismic screening method adapted from the American FEMA 154 (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and New Zealand guidelines. The main parameters include the type of lateral load resisting system, the building height, the year of construction, the presence of structural irregularities (vertical and horizontal), as well as the seismicity and soil class at the site as prescribed by the seismic design provisions of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC). The AHP method is applied to estimate a weight factor for each parameter contributing in the structural vulnerability via a pairwise comparison, in order to develop an improved structural vulnerability equation. The new vulnerability index is calibrated with the results of the previous study at McGill University. This calibration is followed by the integration of the effect of soil-building resonance as a new parameter in the assessment of the structural vulnerability currently proposed in the CSA S832 standard (Seismic risk reduction of operational and functional components). The new VI is classified into four categories: low, moderate, high and very high. The addition of the soil-building resonance parameter has increased the building seismic structural vulnerability classes in some cases. Finally, the seismic risk associated to the OFCs is assessed based on the improved structural vulnerability index and the CSA S832 parametric method based on onsite inspection. Accordingly, the evaluation of the seismic risk is represented by calculating a risk index (R) that takes into consideration the vulnerability of the building, the seismic hazard at the building site and the vulnerability of the component based on the OFC restraint, impact and pounding, OFC overturning and OFC flexibility and location in building, in addition to the consequences of OFC failure or lack of functionality. The risk indices are classified according to the mitigation priority thresholds of CSA S832.

Date	15 Jul 2020
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	École de technologie supérieure
Supervisor	Rola Assi (Supervisor) & Ghyslaine McClure (Co-supervisor)