Risk-targeted maps for Alicante province (Spain)

Abstract

The areas with higher seismic risks in Spain are located in the South and South-East of Spain. For instance, the recent seismic hazard analysis performed in the Alicante and Elche have obtained a PGA of 200 cm/sec2 approximately in the region and indicated that the highest contribution to the seismic hazard comes from the seismicity due to the Crevillente and the Bajo Segura faults. Many studies have demonstrated that the design of structures in the region through the use of “uniform hazard” principle, does not guarantee that the collapse risk in the region is uniform as well, i.e., even in those regions with similar PGAs corresponding to the same mean return period, the seismic risk in terms of failure probability will be significantly different. A new approach called “risk targeting” has already been adopted by new generations of seismic codes and associated research, where the parameters are specified to ensure a tool for the design of buildings with a probability of collapse alike or at least harmonized throughout the area concerned. Consequently, in this study, we will focus on the evaluation of the collapse probability of the buildings and then developing the risk-targeted maps of the Alicante. Finally, the preliminary obtained results will be discussed.