A Scenario Case Study to Evaluate Methods of Seismic Loss Assessment for Communities of Buildings

David J. DeBock, Kevin Y. Kim, & Abbie B. Liel

In Preparation 2013, SCEC Contribution #7143

The study assesses economic losses for the estimated building stock of concrete frame buildings in and around downtown Los Angeles, due to a Mw 7.8 rupture scenario on the San Andreas Fault. The study begins by making a “Benchmark” prediction of earthquake-induced losses in this building stock using state-of-the-art ground motion simulations, structural analyses, and loss assessment techniques. The Benchmark loss prediction is compared to estimates from two other methods. These methods are representative of current regional loss estimation procedures, which rely on ground shaking intensity to predict losses. Comparisons of the results demonstrate the strengths and weakness of different regional loss estimation techniques. The results highlight the importance of accounting for spatial correlations in ground shaking intensity and build-ing response for dealing with uncertainty in the regional loss assessment.

Citation
DeBock, D. J., Kim, K. Y., & Liel, A. B. (2013). A Scenario Case Study to Evaluate Methods of Seismic Loss Assessment for Communities of Buildings. Oral Presentation at 11th International Conference on Structural Safety and Reliability (ICOSSAR).