CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
RATIONALE
In the past history of earthquakes that had happened in the world it
has been proven that a number of casualties is caused due to the collapse of
the structure especially those non- inspect and non-scrutinize existing
residential buildings. The earthquake happened last October 15, 2013 in
Bohol and Cebu left many residential buildings blown out in the water.
Earthquake hazard and its relationship to risk, as well as the awareness of
local populations to the earthquake phenomenon vary significantly around
the world. In some regions in the Philippines such as the recent earthquake
in Bohol and Cebu City, common perception is that earthquakes are mainly
an exotic phenomenon occasionally causing disasters in far-away places. On
the other hand, in places like Japan, Chile or Turkey, earthquakes are part of
peoples everyday lives. In areas of high seismicity, most earthquakes are
small and cause no damage, but occasionally disastrous events are
reminders of the importance of earthquake evaluation and force the local
authorities to take measures in earthquake preparedness and risk mitigation.
Over the years, the desire to provide tools for earthquake risk mitigation,
perhaps with the ultimate goal of earthquake prediction, has led to the
development of seismic evaluation and diagnosis and risk assessment as
important fields in seismology. The work in this study focuses on various

aspects of seismic evaluation and analysis, whereas the addition to seismic

risk is only discussed briefly for a few cases.

The main aim of any seismic evaluation and assessment is to, in some
way, quantify and delineate the level of ground shaking which can be
expected in a given region within a given time. This is naturally dependent
on the seismic activity in the region, but also on factors such as the time
elapsed since the previous large earthquake and the distance to large faults.
Traditionally, probabilistic methodologies have been applied for seismic
evaluation of residential buildings, originally based on poissonian earthquake
occurrence. With the recent improvements achieved in understanding the
behavior of seismic sources, complicated recurrence enforced evaluation
method are now being implemented, taking into account the massive
destruction and the quantity of damage since the previous large earthquake.
More recently, due to the availability of more detailed information on the
deformational processes involved in an earthquake rupture, quantitative and
qualitative assessment has become more popular through ground seismic
evaluation and analysis.
It is important to note that the risk is not necessarily proportional to
the seismic diagnosis. It is possible to have regions with high seismic hazard
but low seismic risk in cases where there is no or scarce population and
structures are not vulnerable to earthquake loads. On the other hand, Sitio
Zapatera, Brgy. Luz, where structures are vulnerable can be under a
2

significant seismic risk even if the seismic analysis is limited in terms of the
expected ground motion levels. The vulnerability of a given region is a
complex function of a variety of parameters, which requires integration of
several disciplines and is beyond the capacity of seismology. The implications
of hazard results in engineering practice and in assessing the risk should
however always be kept in mind when working with seismic evaluation. For
these reasons, the main focus of the present work is on seismic evaluation of
20 residential houses within the vicinity. Implications of the results are
discussed in terms of their engineering significance without going into the
problem of vulnerability and risk. The methodology to be applied for hazard
assessment in a given region depends on the level of knowledge about the
seismicity and the deformational processes in the Sitio Zapatera. In this
research, the evaluation will be more on the determination of quantity and
quality of the materials used in an existing houses and how strong the
structure that these houses can withstand future seismic activity. Thus, this
research will recommend such action to help the residents to prepare and
anticipate future earthquake.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the seismic capacity of
the 25 existing residential houses in Sitio Zapatera, Brgy. Luz, Cebu City.
Specifically, the study aims to deal with the following concerns:

1.) The determination of the strength of each house to resist possible

earthquakes by knowing the compositions and computing the actual
loads for each house.
2.) Identifying any chance of being near the source of an earthquake or
any nearby seismic source zones - could be specific faults or
distributed sources through the information that will be gathered from
the PHIVOLCS, also, with the aid of the calculations that will be done
abiding with the standards of the NSCP for each seismic analysis.
3.) Establishing response parameters for each residents in the said area
such as finding safety evacuation routes, providing signage's and
providing residents with recommendations through a seminar.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will provide the residents of Sitio Zapatera knowledge about
the capacity of their respective houses to withstand earthquake. Majority of
the houses in the area are non-engineered. It is important to identify those
houses that are not safe and is needed to be retrofitted or abandoned. In the
present days, seismic activities have been so active thus, studies like this
could help the society lessen the casualties and damages to properties.

CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Seismic assessment has an important societal impact in describing
levels of ground motions to be expected in a given region in the future.
Challenges in seismic evaluation and assessment are closely associated with
the fact that different regions, due to their differences in seismic tectonics
setting (and hence in earthquake occurrence) as well as socio-economic
conditions, require different and innovative approaches. One of the most
important aspects in this regard is the seismicity level and the pre-existing
knowledge about seismic tectonics and fault behavior in the region. This
study focuses on seismic evaluation in one of the primary Sitio in Brgy. Luz,
Cebu City, the Sitio Zapatera, of very different tectonics in which different
approaches for seismic evaluation and assessment are needed. In seismically
5

active regions, standard probabilistic and deterministic approaches can be

followed in assessing the hazard provided that the seismic tectonic and
geological information is available.
The Pacific Rim (The Pacific Rim are the lands around the rim of the
Pacific Ocean). The Pacific Basin includes the Pacific Rim and the islands in
the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Rim roughly overlaps with the geologic Pacific
Ring of Fire is not only a community of the fastest growing and most
dynamic nations in the world. It is also the area exposed to a wide range of
natural disaster. The Philippine archipelago, located near the western edge of
the Pacific Ocean, is in the direct path of seasonal typhoons and monsoon
rains which bring floods, storms, storm surges, and their attendant landslides
and other forms of devastation. The Philippines also sits on the "ring of fire"
where

the

continental

plates

collide

and

thus

experience

periodic

earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The Philippine exposure to natural

disasters may be characterized as frequent, varied, and severe; a
combination which has made the Philippines society and government
extremely sensitive to the challenge of disaster reduction. Over the past
decades, the Philippines have been labeled as one of the most disaster-prone
countries in the world mainly because of its geographic and geologic location
and physical characteristics. The country lies along several active fault lines
and have active, inactive and potentially active volcanoes all over the
country. Records shows an average of 20 earthquakes per day and around
100-150 earthquakes felt per year.
6

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology-Department of

Science and Technology (PHIVOLCS-DOST) monitors earthquakes not only
nationwide

but

also

globally.

To

keep

watch

of

tsunami-generating

earthquakes that might occur outside the country but could hit the coastal
areas, PHIVOLCS acquired and installed global earthquake-monitoring tools in
2010. With these tools, they receive seismic data from other countries
seismic networks. An alarm would automatically set off whenever a
significant earthquake is detected outside the Philippines, which is why
access to information has become quicker.

The following are the tools that are considered necessary in

determining seismic activity:
1. Tidetool
Another tool that became handy during the monitoring of the tsunami
from the Chile 2010 event and the tsunami from Japan on March 11, 2011
was a software known as Tidetool from the US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. This tool enables to monitor if tsunami waves
had already hit certain tide gauges installed all around the Pacific Ocean at
an estimated height.
2. Hazard maps
In 2005-2007, PHIVOLCS implemented a project called Tsunami Risk
Mitigation. One of the major outcomes of this program was the generation of
tsunami-hazard maps for 43 provinces of the Philippines with coastal
7

communities. The tsunami-hazard maps were generated based on modeling

of tsunami heights and arrival times.
The tsunami-hazard maps were distributed to provincial offices so that
local government units have information that could be used as basis for landuse and development planning, and earthquake- and tsunami-disaster
preparedness (Orallo, 2011).
Earthquakes do not only kill lives, but also destroys properties such as
buildings and infrastructure. Therefore, the entire focus of earthquake risk
mitigation should be on strengthening the buildings and other infrastructure
through various structural and non-structural mitigation measures that can
withstand the shocks of earthquake. This by no means is not an easy task, as
millions of buildings have already been constructed that do not conform to
earthquake resistant standards and hundreds of new buildings are coming up
that do not conform to the standards. Also, most of the construction takes
place on individual initiatives without sanctioned building plans and even if
the plans are sanctioned actual construction does not take place as per
approved standards.
Collapse of structures like houses, schools, hospitals, roads, dams,
bridges and other buildings account for nearly 90% of deaths, injuries and
damages in earthquakes. Therefore, earthquake resistant design and
construction must be emphasized, promoted and integrated in infrastructure
development (Earthquake Risk Management in Southeast Asia, 2009).

An

evaluation

of

seismic

capacity

which

incorporates

response

characteristics based on the obtained scenario ground motion in various

design standards was proposed, and it was shown that diverse structures can
be evaluated efficiently and rationally using this method. At present,
evaluations of seismic capacity of individual structures based on this method
are progressing steadily in cooperation with the departments responsible for
the structures, and implementation of concrete seismic retrofitting measures
has begun (Yoshio & Hisaya, 2012).
Recent research in the field of earthquake engineering (NSF Award
No: CMS-0618183) gave rise to a non-commercial release of innovative
software called Earthquake Performance Evaluation Tool (or EPET). EPET
enables experiments with a virtual building on earthquake protector (or EP)
accompanied with simultaneous virtual testing of the identical but fixedbased building. On users' demand, all those concurrent experiments may be
animated.
A

three-dimensional

backfillstructuresoil/foundation

interaction

phenomenon is simulated using the finite element method in order to

analyze the dynamic behavior of cantilever retaining wall subjected to
different ground motions. Effects of both earthquake frequency content and
soilstructure interaction are evaluated by using five different seismic
motions and six different soil types. The study mainly consists of three parts.
In the first part, following a brief review of the problem, the finite element

model with viscous boundary is proposed under fixed-base condition. In the

second part, analytical formulations are presented by using modal analysis
technique to provide the finite element model verification, and reasonable
agreement is found between numerical and analytical results. Finally, the
method is extended to further investigate parametrically the effects of not
only earthquake frequency content but also soil/foundation interaction, and
nonlinear time history analyzes are carried out. By means of changing the
soil properties, some comparisons are made on lateral displacements and
stress responses under different ground motions. It is concluded that the
dynamic response of the cantilever wall is highly sensitive to frequency
characteristics of the earthquake record and soilstructure interaction.(
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0267726112002552)
In combination, the presented studies addresses some of the
challenges associated with seismic evaluation and diagnosis, and can
hopefully serve as a basis for further investigations in the future.
Romania is one of the earthquake prone countries in the Eastern
Europe. The first generation of Romanian seismic design code was issued in
1963, as P13/63. The buildings build before the first issue of the seismic
design code and also the buildings designed before 1978, when P100-78
earthquake resistant design code was prepared and enforced, should be
evaluated and most of them retrofitted in order to comply with the current
code provisions.
10

The vulnerable buildings in Romania can be ranked in two major categories:

1. Mid rise and high rise buildings built prior to 1945
2. Mid rise and high rise buildings built after 1945 and prior to March 4,
1977 earthquake

The two categories of vulnerable buildings have very distinctive structural

features and consequently the approach for improvement of retrofitting
techniques and methods must be different ( Prof. Dr. Eng. Tudor
Postelnicu- Romania, 2005).

11

THEORETICAL/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY

QUANTITATIVE
EVALUATION
METHOD

QUALITATIVE
EVALUATION
METHOD

CONVENTIONAL
CAPACITY TO BEAR
SEISMIC LOAD OF THE
INSPECTED BUILDING

STRUCTURAL &
ARCHITECTURAL
DESIGN OF THE
BUILDING

IDENTIFYING THE
HIGHLY VULNERABLE/
AREAS OF THE
STRUCTURE

PLOTTING OF THE
BUILDING & ITS
MEMBER AND DETAILS

INFORMATION OF THE
BUILDING DURING
PREVIOUS SEISMIC
EVENT

STRUCTURES
STIFFNESS TO LATERAL
DISPLACEMENT

12

RECOMMENDATION &
ASSESSMENT

CHECKING THE
COMPLIANCE W/ THE
CRITERIA OF
DUCTILITY
PREVENTION

CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1.1Research Environment
The research environment is the Sitio Zapatera in Barangay Luz, Cebu
City.

SITIO
ZAPATE
RA

1.2Research Design
This study will be based on an actual survey and visitation method of
research. Survey research is often used to assess thoughts, opinions, and
actual condition of the specified or limited scope of certain area.
This study will use an actual research design consisting of two methods
for evaluation that were also used in Russia: the Quantitative and Qualitative
Evaluation Method. This study aims to determine and understand the seismic
capacity of existing houses in the Sitio and to recommend a necessary action
or plans to resist any upcoming seismic activity. The survey and evaluation

13

will be done within the Sitio Zapatera and upon the approval of the Barangay
Chairman.
1.3 Qualitative Evaluation Method
The qualitative evaluation is based on the inspection of the building as a
whole and in detail and on the examination of the following:
a. The structural and architectural design of the building;
b. The plotting of the building, its members and details considered
significant for the assessment of the protection level, whenever the
original design is not available or when the building of the structure
fails to comply with the design, or when the building has suffered
structural transformations during its service life without any
purpose-made documentation;
c. The designs and documentation on which previous interventions
were based, as well as other information on the history of the
structure;
d. Information on the building behavior during previous seismic
events;
e. Considerations related to the norms on which the design of the
building was based or, if necessary, related to the date practices
compared with the present specifications in force;
f. The plotting of the possible damage and deterioration;
g. The building as a whole and in detail.

14

The object of the qualitative assessment is the structural system as well

as the non-structural internal or external members that are likely to cause
accidents during seismic events (partition walls, parapets, ornaments, blind
walls, chimneys, etc.).

1.4 Quantitative Evaluation Method

a. Determining the conventional capacity to bear the seismic loads
Scap of the inspected building;
b. Identifying highly vulnerable members/areas of the structure;
c. Checking up the compliance with the criteria of ductility and brittle
crush prevention;
d. Determining the structures stiffness to lateral displacement.
The fulfillment of the conditions of stiffness to lateral displacement
shall be checked by comparing the structure displacements under the
conventional capacity to bear the seismic load Scap with the allowable
displacements for new constructions. This checking has an informative
character, aiming to quantify the general performance of the structure to
seismic events.
The entire survey activity is synthesized by the ranking of the building
into classes of seismic risk taking into account the seismic zone where the
building is located and the following criteria regarding the type of structure,
the behavior of the building in operation and under seismic actions:
a. The category of the structural system;
15

b. The general conformity of the building from the point of view of the
expected seismic response;
c. The nominal level of protection against seismic actions (index R)
d. The presence of weak zones, from the point of view of the resistance
capacity in relation to the requirements, in the structural members
playing a major role in taking over the seismic strain;
e. The probable nature of the yield of the main structural members that
are vital for the stability of the building: ductile, with limited ductility,
brittle;
f. The method of solving the constructive details of sections (for instance:
the cross reinforcement with cross-ties in the potential plastic zones,
reinforcement bars anchorage, their splicing, etc.);
g. The age of the building (the year of erection);
h. The number of significant earthquakes to which the building was
subject;
i. The structural damage experienced after earthquakes;
j. The condition of non-structural members;
k. The height and the mass of the building, etc.

Four classes of seismic risk are established as regards the seismic risk,
i.e. the possible effects of certain earthquakes, characteristic for the site, on
the existing buildings on that site:

16

Seismic Risk Class I, RsI, comprising buildings with high risk of collapse
in case of earthquakes with intensities corresponding to the design seismic
zones (design seismic rank);
Seismic Risk Class II, RsII, comprising buildings for which the risk of
collapse is low, but for which major structural damage is expected on the
occurrence of the design seismic rank;
Seismic Risk Class III, RsIII, comprising buildings which are expected to
suffer structural damage which does not significantly affect the structural
safety, but the damage of their non-structural members can be significant;
Seismic Risk Class IV, RsIV, comprising buildings for which the expected
seismic response is the same with that of the new buildings, designed on the
basis of the design code in force.

1.5Gathering of Data Analysis

Assessment methodology entails the checking of certain well-conformed
conditions,
grouped into several lists of requirements, structural or non-structural, more
developed or less extensive, function of the requirement system and the
level of the performance pursue.
Thus, all the gathered data and pertinent analysis will be used as a
basis for recommendation and the condition of the existing building provided
that there will be no intervention to the actual analysis and the development
of the research. Each method will be categorized according to its function
17

and content so that all necessary arrangement will be properly addressed

during the site survey and visitation. The 50 residential houses are quite
narrow but due to technology innovation the researcher shows favor in
determining the essential output in the study. Furthermore, recommendation
will be identified after all the details will be properly calculated and defined.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The study focuses on determining the capacity of the 20 residential
houses to withstand a certain magnitude of an earthquake that will possibly
hit Sitio Zapatera in Brgy. Luz. This includes the seismic analysis and
computation of loads that would determine the weak points of the residential
building.
Thus, the calculations of the different houses will result to a hazard
map of the place and further recommendations will be given. In addition, the
researchers would also identify safety routes for evacuation of the residents
of Sitio Zapatera.
The researchers will limit this research to the vicinity around Sitio
Zapatera and will conduct the evaluation to 20 houses only. The study will
focus on the components of the houses being evaluated and does not seek
to include the methods such as retrofitting as recommended by the previous
study made. The study only recommends having the assessment results as
basis.
18

19