Author

Ahmed Mebarki, Nathalia Valencia
Laboratoire de Mecanique, Universite de Mame-la-Valiee
5 Bd Descartes, Cite Descartes, 77454 Marne la Vallee Cedex 2, France

Abstract

When dealing with seismic risks that may affect targe urban or regional areas, GIS maps of these risks and their possible consequences may be very useful. Actually, they are required to help decision making since they can give a good idea of the structural risk level and the economic consequences as well as the possible social consequences. Mapinfo is used to produce the GIS maps of the seismic risks. A probabilistic method is developed dealing with the seismic vulnerability analysis of informal masonry construction. Global probabilities of failure are postulated, depending on the classification of the construction regarding the explicative criteria that govern the seismic resistance. The results are in accordance with both existing qualitative methodology and the seismic disaster that affected Caracas in 1967. GIS maps are given for 33 informal masonry structures in the suburbs of Caracas. KEYWORDS: Vulnerability, Risks, Seismic, Earthquakes, Disasters, GIS maps.