Title: Refractive index model to determine the vulnerability curves for different building typologies

Authors: Filomena Galizia; Alberto Fiorenza

Addresses: Dipartimento di Strutture per l'Ingegneria e l'Architettura, DiSt, Università di Napoli 'Federico II', via Forno Vecchio n. 36, 80134 Napoli, Italy ' Dipartimento di Architettura, DiARC, Università di Napoli 'Federico II', via Monteoliveto, 3 – 80134 Napoli, Italy

Abstract: In this paper, with reference to an analysis of seismic vulnerability on a territorial scale, we propose a new model for determining the damage in terms of a mean damage grade of a probabilistic nature. The theoretical approach is based on a behavioural analogy between a building and a particle in a dielectric, subjected respectively to an earthquake and a sinusoidal electric field: both phenomena are characterised by a critical value, and both phenomena obey the same rule when the relevant parameters are close to the critical value. We develop, in fact, a new expression for the vulnerability curves, simpler with respect to the existing one, and confirmed by data given in literature. This paper contributes to the development of a methodological process for estimating the degree of average damage in order to achieve results that can be used for preventive purposes.

Keywords: refractive index model; vulnerability curves; mean damage grade; preventive purpose; damage estimation; seismic vulnerability; ordinary buildings; damage scenarios; earthquakes; building typologies; sinusoidal electric field; earthquake damage.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIE.2016.080031

International Journal of Earthquake and Impact Engineering, 2016 Vol.1 No.1/2, pp.174 - 198

Received: 11 Apr 2016
Accepted: 06 Jun 2016
Published online: 29 Oct 2016 *

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