The purpose of the thesis is the determination of potentially seismic active sources and of the dynamic response evaluation of surface and subsurface structure at sites where the geometric and dynamic properties of the ground can strongly amplify seismic motions. A combination of methods involving the study of geology, geophysics and seismology disciplines permitting cross-comparison of techniques in a robust approach is applied to address these issues. The study area is focused in Kastelli-Kissamou and Paleohora half graben basins in northwestern and southwestern Crete that is located in one of the most seismically active parts of the Africa-Eurasia collision zone. Ground truthed geological field survey, 2D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Horizontal to Vertical Spectra Ratio (HVSR) technique using microtremors and microseismicity study are conducted. Microseismicity study involves two different earthquake dataset acquired from a regional permanent network installed on Crete and local temporal network installed on Paleohora. 2D Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) reveals seven faults in the territory of Kastelli-Kissamou and three faults large scale faults in the territory of Paleohora basin. HVSR technique using microtremors is applied only in the populated area of Kastelli and Paleohora basins and reveals five fault zones in Kastelli and four major fault zones in Paleohora crosscutting the densely populated areas. The effects of the surface and subsurface structure are well patterned in the horizontal to vertical spectra ratios. One amplified clear frequency, two high amplified clear frequencies, broad and flat or low amplitude HVSR peaks attributes the effects of surface and subsurface structure on seismic ground motion. The effects of soft rocks, stiff soils, thick and thin alluvial deposits, fault zones, lateral heterogeneities and discontinuities on seismic ground motion are determined. The higher ground amplification level is observed in Paleohora (A=5.7) compared to Kastelli (A=3.4). Three case studies of building vulnerability evaluation in Paleohora half-graben basin using HVSR technique and microtremors are presented. Temporal seismological network is installed in the territory of Paleohora to study the seismotectonic setting of southwestern Crete. Microseismicity using data from the permanent seismological regional network of Crete is used to compare the seismicity of the study areas.

abstract: The modeling and simulation of airflow dynamics in buildings has many applications including indoor air quality and ventilation analysis, contaminant dispersion prediction, and the calculation of personal occupant exposure. Multi-zone airflow model software programs provide such capabilities in a manner that is practical for whole building analysis. This research addresses the need for calibration methodologies to improve the prediction accuracy of multi-zone software programs. Of particular interest is accurate modeling of airflow dynamics in response to extraordinary events, i.e. chemical and biological attacks. This research developed and explored a candidate calibration methodology which utilizes tracer gas (e.g., CO2) data. A key concept behind this research was that calibration of airflow models is a highly over-parameterized problem and that some form of model reduction is imperative. Model reduction was achieved by proposing the concept of macro-zones, i.e. groups of rooms that can be combined into one zone for the purposes of predicting or studying dynamic airflow behavior under different types of stimuli. The proposed calibration methodology consists of five steps: (i) develop a "somewhat" realistic or partially calibrated multi-zone model of a building so that the subsequent steps yield meaningful results, (ii) perform an airflow-based sensitivity analysis to determine influential system drivers, (iii) perform a tracer gas-based sensitivity analysis to identify macro-zones for model reduction, (iv) release CO2 in the building and measure tracer gas concentrations in at least one room within each macro-zone (some replication in other rooms is highly desirable) and use these measurements to further calibrate aggregate flow parameters of macro-zone flow elements so as to improve the model fit, and (v) evaluate model adequacy of the updated model based on some metric. The proposed methodology was first evaluated with a synthetic building and subsequently refined using actual measured airflows and CO2 concentrations for a real building. The airflow dynamics of the buildings analyzed were found to be dominated by the HVAC system. In such buildings, rectifying differences between measured and predicted tracer gas behavior should focus on factors impacting room air change rates first and flow parameter assumptions between zones second. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Built Environment 2011

Floods are natural phenomena which are a threat to human settlements. Flooding can result in costly repairs to buildings, loss of business and, in some cases, loss of life. The forecasts for climate change show a further increased risk of flooding in future years. Accordingly, the flooding of residential property has been observed as on the rise in the UK. It is difficult to prevent floods from occurring, but the effects of flooding can be managed in an attempt to reduce risks and costs of repair. This can be achieved through ensuring a good understanding of the problem, and thereby establishing good management systems which are capable of dealing with all aspects of the flood. The use of an intelligent system for assessment and remediation of buildings subjected to flooding damage can facilitate the management of this problem. Such a system can provide guidance for the assessment of vulnerability and the repair of flood damaged residential buildings; this could save time and money through the use of the advantages and benefits offered by knowledge base systems. A prototype knowledge base system has been developed in this research. The system comprises three subsystems: degree of vulnerability assessment subsystem; remediation options subsystem; and foundation damage assessment subsystem. The vulnerability assessment subsystem is used to calculate the degree of vulnerability, which will then be used by the remediation options subsystem to select remediation options strategy. The vulnerability assessment subsystem can subsequently be used to calculate the degree to which the building is vulnerable to damage by flooding even if it is not flooded. Remediation options subsystem recommended two strategy options: either ordinary remediation options in the case of vulnerability being low or, alternatively, resilience remediation options in the case of vulnerability being high. The foundation damage assessment subsystem is working alone and is used to assess the damage caused by flooding to the building s foundation, and to thereby recommend a repair option based on the damage caused and foundation type. The system has been developed based on the knowledge acquired from different sources and methods, including survey questionnaires, documents, interviews, and workshops. The system is then evaluated by experts and professionals in the industry. The developed system makes a contribution in the management and standardisation of residential building flooded damage and repair.