WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development
Print ISSN: 1790-5079, E-ISSN: 2224-3496
Volume 20, 2024
Fragility Analysis of Pangasinan State University Urdaneta City Campus Buildings
Authors: ,
Abstract: The Philippines is a seismically susceptible region because of its unique geographical location within the Pacific Ring of Fire. Over the years, the Philippines has had several destructive earthquakes that have caused building collapses and numerous fatalities. Schools are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because most were built using outdated building rules that do not comply with current seismic design criteria. The age of PSU buildings, which ranges from 10 to 40 years, may increase their vulnerability to seismic hazards. Buildings designed with the old codes might lack the necessary reinforcement and structural elements to withstand the forces generated by an earthquake, potentially leading to catastrophic failures and endangering the lives of students, faculty, and other occupants. Moreover, the San Manuel Fault Line near PSU buildings in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, heightens the risk of a significant seismic event affecting these structures. Given the critical role that schools play in communities, both in providing education and serving as essential facilities during and after disasters, assessing their seismic vulnerability becomes crucial. So far, no research has been conducted to evaluate the PSU building’s vulnerability to seismic activity in the event of a significant earthquake. In line with this, this study aimed to perform a seismic fragility analysis of PSU buildings in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, Philippines, to determine how susceptible they were to earthquakes. This study applies preliminary assessment using Rapid Visual Screening of FEMA P-154 to filter out which buildings need further evaluation and detailed assessment using fragility analysis. The screened buildings are evaluated using fragility curves to assess if the building could endure an earthquake with a 0.4 g PGA and a 10% probability of exceedance, following the National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP) requirements for seismic zone 4. The structural model of PSU buildings was created using SAP 2000, and the non-linear static analysis, specifically the ATC40 Capacity Spectrum Method, was performed to determine the data required to develop the fragility curves. The results demonstrate that the seismic scores of Engineering Buildings 1, 2, and 3 are below the RVS FEMA P-154 standard of 2.0, indicating that further investigation is required to evaluate their vulnerability thoroughly. Additionally, these buildings were observed to withstand a maximum peak ground acceleration of 0.60 g PGA at a 10% probability of exceedance based on the developed fragility curves, corresponding to earthquake intensity up to VIII, indicating "severe shaking.” Furthermore, analysis of the fragility curves demonstrates that none of the structures exceed the 10% probability of exceedance at 0.4 g PGA, aligning with NSCP standards for Seismic Zone 4. As a result, these buildings are considered safe for occupancy without requiring retrofitting measures.
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Keywords: earthquake, rapid visual survey, seismic vulnerability assessment, fragility analysis, capacity spectrum method, probability of exceedance
Pages: 789-809
DOI: 10.37394/232015.2024.20.75