The last earthquake in Athens in September 99 reminded us that a significant number of buildings exhibit reduced resistance, either because of their design (soft storey, old regulations, etc.), or due to construction (quality or condition of materials). Taking into account that this earthquake, compared to others in the broader area, e.g. Turkey’s earthquake, was relatively small, both in terms of spectral acceleration and duration, we can conclude that we must certainly begin an effort to increase the safety of our constructions. The axes we are going to move should be first of all identifying the vulnerability of the constructions and then identifying the appropriate strengthening interventions needed to justify it …
Author: Antonios P. Kanellopoulos
Publisher: SPME (Greek Society of Civil Engineers)