EU-NICE - Eurasian University Network for International Cooperation in Earthquakes

Despite the remarkable scientific advances of earthquake engineering and seismology in many countries, earthquake risk is still growing at a high rate in the World’s most vulnerable Countries. Succesful practice experiences have shown that a Country’s capacity to manage and reduce its earthquake risk relies on capitalization on policies as well as technology and research results, and on strengthening technical curricula for future practitioners and researchers through university and higher education programmes. Cooperative international academic research and training is always key to reducing the gap between industrialized and more vulnerable regions.

Representatives of the EU-NICE consortium from Asian and European universities at the initiative kick-off meeting.

Based on these premises, the Sapienza University of Rome has taken the lead in a major scientific cooperation effort with asian partners. Representatives from 5 European Universities, 8 Asian Univerisities, and 5 Associate organizations and NGOs gathered in Rome on October 18-19 to launch EU-NICE initiative. The meeting was attended by Rector Prof. Luigi Frati who signed the Consortium Agreement, and by the Vice President of the European Parliament Mr. Gianni Pittella who addressed the international gathering through a videoconference speech. EU-NICE (http://www.eu-nice.eu) is an international cooperation and aid project under the Erasmus Mundus mobility scheme of the European Commission. The project focuses on capacity building and curricula strengthening in the field of earthquake mitigation and is targeted to University located in Regional Asian Countries.

Researchers, future policymakers and practitioners will build up their curricula over a wide range of disciplines in the fields of engineering, seismology, disaster risk management and urban planning. Specific educational and research activities will focus on earthquake risk mitigation related topics such as: anti-seismic structural design, structural engineering, advanced computer structural collapse analysis, seismology, experimental laboratory studies, international and developmental issues in disaster risk management, social-economical impact studies, international relations and conflict resolution. Cooperation will take place between leading European and Asian universities involved in advanced research on seismic mitigation, centers of excellence for higher education training on disaster risk management.

The Eurasian consortium comprises 5 European Universities: Sapienza University of Rome (Coordinator), (Italy), University "G. D'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara (Italy), University of Basilicata (Italy), University of Partas (Greece), University of Aveiro (Portugal); 8 Asian Universities: Nangarhar University (Afghanistan), Tribhuvan University (Nepal), National Society for Earthquake Technology (Nepal), NED University of Engineering and Technology (Pakistan), University of Dhaka (Bangladesh), Prince of Songkla University (Thailand) , Hunan University (China), Chongqing University (China); and 5 Associate Organizations and NGOs: Geohazards International Society (India), Rotary Club of Jalalabad (Afghanistan), Rotary International District 2080 Lazio-Sardegna (Italy), Italian Association of Earthquake Engineering ANIDIS (Italy), Chulalongkorn University (Thailand).

Speech of the Vice President of the European Parliament Mr. Gianni Pittella.

The Erasmus Mundus Action Two Partnership programme is a cooperation and mobility scheme in the area of higher education launched by Europe Aid Cooperation Office and implemented by the Executive Agency Education, Audiovisual and Culture (EACEA).

The European Commission has launched this initiative to foster cooperation between higher education institutions. It aims to boost exchanges of students, researchers and academic staff and to support mobility, in particular from non-EU countries to EU member states. The European Commission launches call for proposals for different regions in the world and then funds partnerships between universities to implement the exchanges. Students, researchers and staff from the area can apply to the selected consortium for scholarships.

The EMA2 objective is to achieve better understanding and mutual enrichment between the European Union and Third Countries in the field of higher education through promoting the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills at higher education level. This will be achieved through the promotion of partnerships and institutional co-operation exchanges between European Higher Education Institutions and Third Country institutions and a mobility scheme addressing student and academic exchanges.

The EU-NICE scholarship programme is open to nationals from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Thailand, China, North Korea who want to study or work at one of the five European partner universities in Italy, Greece and Portugal. The project is also supported by a number of associate organizations active in earthquake risk mitigation and international development. A total number of 104 mobilities will be involved in scientific activities at the undergraduate, masters, PhD, postdoctoral and academic-staff exchange.

The first call for applications will open in November 2010. (Please visit http://eu-nice.eu for further details)

EU-NICE consortium Kick-off meeting at University of Rome Sapienza.

Rotary Club La Jolla Golden Triangle - Afghanistan Projects by Steve Brown and Fary Moini

Steve and Fary are making a tremendous effort in the developement of Afghanistan, where they built and currently run a school for Afghan refugees. The project aims at strengthening the academic curricula at the Nangarhar University stressing on IT, and engineering, (more info at http://stevebrownrotary.com/). Their latest project regards the construction of a suspended footbridge over the Kabul river in Jalalabad. The footbridge will connect a totally isolated village to the main town.

Particularly thankful to Rotary for giving me the chance to meet these two wonderful persons: Fary Moini and Steve Brown.

Terremoto Abruzzo - L'Aquila Aprile 2009

Irpinia 1980 Earthquake - Documentary by Lina Wertmuller

"E' una domenica sera di novembre" (L. Wertmuller 1981). Movie director Lina Wertmuller, the first woman ever nominated for a director Academy Award, filmed this shocking documentary in the aftermath of the 1980 Irpinia Earthquake in Southern Italy. For many of us who lived through that calamity this film brings a piece of our history, indeed the most dramatic and life changing event for our generation.


This saddens even more if we think how gorgeous these little towns looked from the sky, as in the short film "Basilicata Autentica" featuring Francis Ford Coppola and directed by Michele Russo.

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL AND ITS ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL DISASTER RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT

Rotary has launched DRRAG, the new Disaster Relief Rotary Action Group. DRRAG is designed to help Rotarians contribute to preparedness in a timely and effective manner before a disaster and to participate in response, relief, recovery and rebuilding coordination after a disaster: to help save lives, alleviate suffering, stimulate recovery and mitigate hazards.

This paper by DRRAG CEO Lee Malany summarizes the vision and scope of DRRAG.

Comments by LeGrand L. Malany
Distinguished Panelist for 1st North American Rotary Disaster Workshop
A concept paper prepared for the 1st North American Rotary Disaster Workshop, New Orleans, Louisiana January 11-13, 2007

ABSTRACT: Polio Plus proved that Rotary can be a leading, catalytic and effective global force to improving world conditions. This paper explores another important and needed global focus for which Rotary is uniquely qualified and structured – Disaster Relief and Development. This paper focuses on two dynamics regarding disaster relief and development which are exceptionally suited to Rotary: (a) providing the local bonding to make international relief and development programs sustainable in developing nations; and, (b) providing the worldwide business participation management structure for effective and coordinated private sector action and capacity building assistance to developing countries.

This paper addresses the potential role of Rotary in relief and development within the context of the international arena rather that a national one. Although there are great similarities between relief and development in other countries (as the parallelisms between Katrina in the Southern United States and the October 8, 2006, earthquake in Northern Pakistan shows), I think our initial discussion should address national and international relief and development separately, at least initially [...].

Use of High-Performance parallel supercomputers to conduct probabilistic seismic response analysis of a building structure

NEESit featured my Ph.D. research (see pdf) on their website (NEESit website). We used structural analysis programs to make an earthquake collapse analysis of a building. Such software are extremely useful in the seismic assessment of existing buildings which were in many cases designed and built prior to 1980s in absence of seismic codes. In particular the so-called "non ductile" buildings represent a common practice foe many seismic prone Countries. Engineers also call them "killer" buildings. An initiative called "Concrete Coalition" (http://www.concretecoalition.org/) has been launched to identify these potential killer buildings in the Los Angeles area.

Structural model of the Bonefro building

In this research (see abstract) we made use of two powerful tools provided by NEES: the supercomputing resources of TeraGrid at the San Diego SuperComputer Center and the structural modeling capabilities of OpenSees parallel. Our goal was making a probabilistic seismic response and collapse assessment of the Bonefro Building. The structure was heavily damaged in the Molise 2002 earthquake. We used the framework developed within the PEER Performance Based Earthquake Engineering methodology (http://www.peertestbeds.net/) to practice the probabilistic assessment on this reinforced concrete structure.

San Diego Supercomputer Center at UCSD (http://www.sdsc.org).

Structural analysis software helps seismic evaluation of non-engineered buildings in developing countries

Source: Computers and Structures International http://www.csiberkeley.com/images/article_img1.jpg

The Great Southern California Shakeout & the Los Angeles International Earthquake Conference

The conference was organized by Dr. Fuad Bendimerad, leader of EMI-Earthquake Megacities Initiative (http://www.emi-megacities.org). In the picture Ellis Stanley, LA Councilman Greig Smith, LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Dr. Fouad Bendimerad. The conference organizers and participants announced the Great Southern California Shakeout Drill for the next day www.shakeout.org.

"Addressing Earthquake risk of Developing Countries", Brian Tucker presents at Torrey Pines La Jolla Rotary Club

Torrey Pines (La Jolla) Rotary Club - Brian Tucker of GHI - Geohazards International (www.geohaz.org)

"The earthquake risk in developing countries is large and growing rapidly. Unless something is done to reduce it, developing countries will suffer human and economic losses far greater than these countries have experienced in the past. Given the “shrinking” of the world, these losses will affect developed countries as well. GeoHazards International (GHI) is a Palo Alto-based, nonprofit organization that has attempted to reduce the death and suffering caused by earthquakes in the world’s most vulnerable communities, through advocacy, preparedness, and mitigation. Disaster response, recovery and reconstruction, which attract so much attention and resources after earthquakes strike, are not the work of GHI. Instead, GHI works before earthquakes to raise awareness, strengthen local institutions, and launch various mitigation activities, particularly in schools and hospitals. This is how to reduce death, suffering and economic losses. GHI and its partners around the world have achieved some success: because of our work, thousands of school children are safer, hundreds of cities are now aware of their risk, the seismic hazard of dozens of cities have been assessed, and numerous local organizations are more capable to manage their communities’ earthquake risk. But there is disturbing evidence that the rate at which earthquake risk management is improving, globally, is woefully inadequate. As GHI continues its work to improve risk management in developing countries, it has launched an effort to recruit new allies, such as the Rotary Clubs, for ideas and support." (Brian Tucker).


Brian Tucker received a B.A. in Physics, a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University. He headed the Geological Hazards Programs of the California Geological Survey from 1982 to1991. In 1991, he founded GeoHazards International (www.geohaz.org), a nonprofit organization working to reduce the risk of natural hazards in the world’s most vulnerable communities through preparedness, mitigation and advocacy. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Seismological Society of America. In 2000, he was honored for his service to the people of Nepal by the King of Nepal, and, in 2002, was named a MacArthur Fellow. In 2007, he received the U.S. Civilian Research and Defense Foundation’s George Brown Award for International Science and Technology Cooperation and was elected a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.

Breakfast with Brian Tucker and rotarians Steve Brown and Fary Moini of La Jolla Golden Triangle RC.

Rotary - Peace is possible

I am officially one of the 60 recipients of a Rotary World Peace Fellowship (link). "What do peace and international relations have in common with earthquake science and engineering structures?". How can a science background fit into international relations and development? This idea has developed in several conversations with different people from the Academia and the industry involved in earthquake engineering, and also many Rotarians from Italy as well as from San Diego. Among others, the work of Brian Tucker of GeoHazards International who is leading a passionate crusade against seismic disasters, has been extremely inspirational. I recommend reading this ARTICLE. The experience as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in San Diego, stimulated my interest in humanitarian programs, and the Rotary leadership of District 2120 and District 5340 (thanks to Gaetano Laguardia, Riccardo Mancini and Vito Casarano, who encouraged and sponsored my candidature, and also to Philippe Lamoise and Donald Yeckel) made me find out about the program. This helped me think how modern earthquake engineering technology and international relations could work together towards global seismic mitigation.

Rotary District 5340 - Pathways to Peace committee

2nd North American Rotary Emergency Disaster Initiative Workshop - December 14-15, 2007 - Nashville, Tennessee

http://www.naredi.org/

Agenda

SETTING: The first conference and workshop held in New Orleans, January 11-13, 2007 and addressed the questions: should Rotary be involved in disaster relief and recovery and if so to what extent. The first question was a resounding yes, which set the stage for a more in depth addressing of the second question. PURPOSE: At the conclusion of this workshop a participant will: know the rudiments of the emergency management system; know how to assess and determine in what areas of disaster operations a club should engage; know how to organize their club to participate in disaster relief in their chosen areas of operation. PRODUCT: At the conclusion of the workshop the participants will have the precursor to their club’s disaster operations manual (DOM).

Importance of community involvement on the road to school seismic safety

[...] “The question is why, again and again, even in industrialized nations with a
wealth of engineering expertise – schools collapse in earthquakes . . . Every that is
EVERY school should be inspected and where necessary reinforced. This is so
basic to risk mitigation in a seismically active area, it seems foolish to have to
write it down.” [...]

Italy, Molise 2002 earthquake. 26 kids die in school collapse. SENTENCE: SIX ACQUITTED

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2768256.ece

Seismic safety of hospitals in California

http://www.rand.org/news/press.07/01.18.html

Build back better. The experience of the Irpinia 1980 earthquake in Potenza, Italy

March 2003 - ENEA Casaccia, Roma. Prof. Franco Braga recalls how the italian adventure of innovative earthquake protection started in Potenza, where he created a school of Earthquake Engineering at the University of Basilicata. From 1990 to 2000 he took the leadership in a project with the local government to train engineers on seismic retrofit of schools using energy dissipating braces, he designed and directed the construction of the base isolated buildings of the Unv. of Basilicata, and of the Rapolla building, subjected to an exciting campaign of "real" simulated earthquakes.

Italy, Basilicata region.

Basilicata, Italy. City of Potenza.

November 23 1980. Irpinia Earthquake.

Potenza, Piazza XIIX Agosto

Potenza, Bucaletto district, emergency housing for 700 displaced families.

Potenza, UniBas, University of Basilicata, founded in 1982, two years after the earthquake.

UniBas Campus, completed in 1996. Five base isolated buildings host the faculties of Agricolture and Science.

UniBas, Seismic Structural testing lab, completed 1997. Reaction wall for pseudodynamic tests and hydraulic systems functional in 2000 (courtesy M. Laterza).

UniBas, material and component testing lab. Static load test on rubber isolator device for the Rapolla building.

Rapolla, Potenza. Base isolated residential building for low income dwellings (design 1995, completed 2000). Subjected to full scale dynamic seismic tests (courtesy F. Braga, august 2000).


Rapolla, Potenza. Rubber base isolator (HDRB) placed between the structure and the foundation.


Rapolla, Potenza. Completed base isolated building and twin conventional (fixed base) building.

Potenza, Domiziano Viola school (my elementary school), retrofit with energy dissipating braces, completed 2002. The coloured braces act like "energy vampires" soaking up the earthquake energy that would otherwise damage the structure (courtesy F. Braga).
Potenza, Domiziano Viola school (my elementary school), retrofit with energy dissipating braces, (completed 2002, courtesy F. Braga).

Potenza, School retrofitted with energy dissipating braces, completed 2006 (courtesy F. Braga).

Potenza, "G. Leopardi" School retrofitted with energy dissipating braces, completed 2006, (courtesy F. Braga).

Potenza, School retrofitted with energy dissipating braces, completed 2006.

Brian Tucker. GEOHAZARDS INTERNATIONAL www.geohaz.org

"[...] The more I saw California successfully dealing with its [seismic] risk, the more I thought of the far greater risk abroad and the far fewer resources available there to address it. Over several years, the idea gradually grew in me to create a non-profit organization that would apply the science, engineering and public policy that had helped the U.S., Japan and Europe manage their earthquake risks to the world’s most vulnerable countries."

http://www.geohaz.org/contents/publications/Opinion.pdf

http://www.geohaz.org/contents/publications/BET_DC_speech_for_website6.pdf

“[…] Why should the citizens of industrialized countries, distant from most earthquake threatened developing countries, care that there is a growing gap between the seismic risk of developing and industrialized countries and that not nough is being done?

[…] We should also care out of self-interest. We in industrialized countries understand that the growing gaps between rich and poor in our own countries led to social tensions. We can therefore realize that the widening of the gap between the industrialized and developing worlds is threatening. We will be more secure if all countries can develop without being periodically set back by natural disasters. It is in our economic self-interest, particularly, that developing countries become earthquake-resistant because they are increasingly important economic partners of the U.S., Japan, and the E.U. Often the infrastructure, residences, and factories of developing economies represent investments made by the industrialized world. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also considers that helping developing countries manage their earthquake risk is in its self-interest. For example, NATO is organizing a workshop to address the problem of seismic risk of public buildings in the Maghreb Region (Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria) because (1) NATO is in the business of stability, (2) mass migrations are destabilizing, and (3) natural disasters (such as earthquakes) cause mass migrations. NATO’s previous “Science for Peace” program is now known as the “Security through Science” program. […].”

Brian E. Tucker

GeoHazards International

http://www.geohaz.org

200 Town and Country Village

Palo Alto, CA 94301

tucker@geohaz.org

SEISMIC ISOLATION TO MITIGATE EARTHQUAKE IMPACT

EARTHQUAKE DESTRUCTION IN POOR COUNTRIES

"The recent earthquakes have again emphasized the fact that the major loss of life in earthquakes happens when the event occurs in developing countries. Even in relatively moderate earthquakes in areas with poor housing, many people are killed by the collapse of brittle, heavy, unreinforced masonry or poorly constructed concrete buildings. Modern structural control technologies such as active control or energy dissipation devices can do little to alleviate this, but it is possible that seismic isolation could be adapted to improve the seismic resistance of poor housing and other buildings such as schools and hospitals in developing countries". (J.M.Kelly).

RELIEF OR PREVENTION ?

“More effective prevention strategies would save not only tens of billions of dollars, but save tens of thousands of lives. Funds currently spent on intervention and relief could be devoted to enhancing equitable and sustainable development instead, which would further reduce the risk for war and disaster. Building a culture of prevention is not easy. While the costs of prevention have to be paid in the present, its benefits lie in a distant future. Moreover, the benefits are not tangible; they are the disasters that did NOT happen.” (Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General: “Introduction to Secretary-General’s Annual Report on the Work of the Organization of United Nations, 1999").

SEISMIC ISOLATION

Seismic isolation is a construction method for protecting buildings, in which the building and ground are separated by an isolation system to limit the transmission of vibrations through the building. It reduces the earthquake force and changes it to a slow vibration, so not only the building, but also everything inside is protected.

Seismic isolation provides numerous benefits:

Safety improvement: Damage to not only the building itself but also interior facilities are restricted and gas or water leaks are prevented, as are secondary accidents due to falling furniture and human lives are protected.

Maintenance of function: The function of buildings can be ensured even after a major earthquake and life can continue as normal.

Protection of property: The difficulties of repair, reinforcement, demolition and rebuilding were experienced after the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Japan. Seismic isolation reduces concern.

Improvement of relief: Fear of earthquake can be alleviated and psychological burden is reduced.Evacuation route is secured after an earthquake.

Economic effect of seismic isolation: Considering safety improvements for disaster during an earthquake and reduction of repair costs after an earthquake, seismic isolation can reduce life cycle cost.

Increased flexibility: Earthquake input to building can be considerably reduced while design flexibility is increased. Precast construction method simplifies the whole structure including junctions and reduces weight of members.

Coronado Bay Bridge - Base Isolated

San Francisco City Hall - Base Isolated

Seismic Isolation in Japan

Seismic Isolation in the US