Estimation of life vulnerability inside buildings during earthquakes

AbstractA methodology is presented for assessing the expected loss of human lives due to the structural damage, failure of contents and non-structural components inside buildings during earthquakes. This approach estimates human life losses considering whether the structure collapses (partial or totally) or not. Entrapment and entrapment fatality rates are calculated using available data from worldwide literature and newspapers of 50 collapsed buildings, which information is reasonably reliable. We apply this methodology to one example of a five-floor RC frame building of typical office occupancy. Vulnerability functions are presented relating the intensity of the earthquake to the loss of human lives inside buildings, considering different times of occurrence of the earthquakes: daytime, commuting time and nighttime. Uncertainties in all parts of the process are very large, but they are formally addressed and taken into account. This methodology may improve the risk assessment for insurances purposes, op...