This work stems from two different studies related to this performance assessment of seismic resistant systems. The first study compares the performance of newly developed and traditional seismic resisting systems, and the second study investigates many of the assumptions made within provisions for nonlinear response history analyses. In the first study, two innovative systems, which are hybrid buckling restrained braces and collapse prevention systems, are compared to their traditional counterparts using a combination of the FEMA P-695 and FEMA P-58 methodologies. Additionally, an innovative modeling assumption is investigated, where moment frames are evaluated with and without the lateral influence of the gravity system. Each system has a unique purpose from the perspective of performance-based earthquake engineering, and analyses focus on the all intensity levels of interest. The comparisons are presented in terms consequences, including repair costs, repair duration, number of casualties, and probability of receiving an unsafe placard, which are more meaningful to owners and other decision makers than traditional structural response parameters. The results show that these systems can significantly reduce the consequences, particularly the average repair costs, at the important intensity levels. The second study focuses on the assumptions made during proposed updates to provisions for nonlinear response history analyses. The first assumption investigated is the modeling of the gravity system's lateral influence, which can have significant effect on the system behavior and should be modeled if a more accurate representation of the behavior is needed. The influence of residual drifts on the proximity to collapse is determined, and this work concludes that a residual drift check is unnecessary if the only limit state of interest is collapse prevention. This study also finds that spectrally matched ground motions should cautiously be used for near-field structures. The effects of nonlinear accidental torsion are also examined in detail and are determined to have a significant effect on the inelastic behavior of the analyzed structure. The final investigation in this study shows that even if a structure is designed per ASCE 7, it may not have the assumed probability of collapse under the maximum considered earthquake when analyzed using FEMA P-695. / Ph. D.

Agriculture is one of the major economic drivers and the production is highly dependable on the climatic conditions and very sensitive to the natural hazards like the flood. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of United States developed Hazard-US model (HAZUS), a tool to estimate the loss to several sectors due to natural hazards like floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes. The study assesses the influence of input model parameters for HAZUS flood loss to crops. This thesis analyzes different combinations of input parameters for the Middle Cedar River Watershed in Iowa. The parameters have been modified based on the cropping pattern of the study region and the pricing trends. The results include the computation of the loss distribution and the determination of the most influential parameters. The study has found that some parameters are more influential in the loss estimation. The influence of parameters for the average annual loss (AAL) calculation is similar. Floods at the end of the cropping season are much more severe than floods at the beginning of the cropping season. Corns are more at risk than soybean because of the longer cropping season. Some counties experience more loss than others based on AAL. The results indicate that the agricultural sector is more vulnerable to floods at the end of the cropping season. The estimation of loss can help emergency planning for floods affecting agriculture, and optimize the agricultural resource management. The inclusion of additional parameters like flood velocity and water quality in the model can increase the accuracy of the estimation.

Flood plain mapping has become an increasingly important part of flood plain management. Flood plain mapping employs mapping software and hydraulic calculation packages to efficiently map flood plains. Modelers often utilize automation software to develop the complex geometries required to reduce the time to develop hydraulic models. The Utah Inundation Mapping System (UTIMS) is designed to reduce the time required to develop complex geometries for use in flood plain mapping studies. The automated geometries developed by UTIMS include: flood specific river centerlines, bank lines, flow path lines, cross sections and areal averaged n-value polygons. UTIMS thus facilitates developing automated input to US Army Corps of Engineer's HEC-RAS software. Results from HEC-RAS can be imported back to UTIMS for display and mapping. The user can also specify convergence criteria for water surface profile at selected locations along the river and thus run UTIMS and HEC-RAS iteratively till the convergence criterion is met. UTIMS develops a new flood specific geometry file for each iteration, enabling an accurate modeling of flood-plain. Utilizing this robust and easy to operate software within the GIS environment modelers can significantly reduce the time required to develop accurate flood plain maps. The time thus saved in developing the geometries allows modelers to spend more time doing the actual modeling and analyzing results. The time thus saved can also result in faster turn around and potential cost cutting in flood-plain modeling work. In this paper the authors describe UTIMS capabilities, compare them with other available software, and demonstrate the UTIMS flood plain automation process using a case study.

No description available.

This dissertation examines the influence of paramilitary professional cultural attributes on the speed at which disaster response organizations (DROs) recognize, respond, organize, and take action in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Three agencies are examined: the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. military's Southern Command/Joint Task Force-Haiti. The 2010 Haiti earthquake is used as a case study to explore the influence of three independent variables: (1) paramilitarism; (2) career ladders (i.e., recruitment and professional development of staff); and (3) workforce autonomy. The purpose is to determine if paramilitary cultures help or hinder an agency's speed into action, thereby helping improve the disaster response organizations of the future. In the case of Haiti, it finds that the combination of thick paramilitary culture, insider career ladders, and high workforce autonomy best enabled responders' speed into action. / Ph. D.

This dissertation discusses the potential for using a conventional main lateral-force resisting system, combined with the reserve strength in the gravity framing, and or auxiliary collapse-inhibiting mechanisms deployed throughout the building, or enhanced shear tab connections, to provide adequate serviceability performance and collapse safety for seismic and wind hazards in the central and eastern United States. While the proposed concept is likely applicable to building structures of all materials, the focus of this study is on structural steel-frame buildings using either non-ductile moment frames with fully-restrained flange welded connections not specifically detailed for seismic resistance, or ductile moment frames with reduced beam section connections designed for moderate seismic demands. The research shows that collapse prevention systems were effective at reducing the conditional probability of seismic collapse during Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCE) level ground motions, and at lowering the seismic and wind collapse risk of a building with moment frames not specifically detailed for seismic resistance. Reserve lateral strength in gravity framing, including the shear tab connections was a significant factor. The pattern of collapse prevention component failure depended on the type of loading, archetype building, and type of collapse prevention system, but most story collapse mechanisms formed in the lower stories of the building. Collapse prevention devices usually did not change the story failure mechanism of the building. Collapse prevention systems with energy dissipation devices contributed to a significant reduction in both repair cost and downtime. Resilience contour plots showed that reserve lateral strength in the gravity framing was effective at reducing recovery time, but less effective at reducing the associated economic losses. A conventional lateral force resisting system or a collapse prevention system with a highly ductile moment frame would be required for regions of higher seismicity or exposed to high hurricane wind speeds, but buildings with collapse prevention systems were adequate for many regions in the central and eastern United States. / Ph. D.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Regional and Community Planning / John Keller / This report examines the evolution of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Processes and procedures have evolved overtime and the agency is making strides in improving their reputation. Joplin, Missouri, is used as a case study to determine (1) if there are changes being made in the Federal Emergency Management Agency and (2) outlines the process to receive aid after a natural disaster. Interviews were conducted with officials and members of the public who worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the disaster and their impression of the agency was documented.

El Perú está ubicado en una zona sísmica alta debido a que se encuentra en el Cinturón de Fuego del Pacífico; en la cual, se produjeron varios eventos sísmicos de gran magnitud que generaron consecuencias catastróficas. Además de ello, hace más de 200 años no ocurre un terremoto cerca de la capital peruana. Por otro lado, los centros educativos deben servir como lugares de refugio ante cualquier catástrofe. Por ese motivo, es importante evaluar que módulos o pabellones escolares públicos son aptos para soportar un sismo importante. En base a ello, la presente tesis evalúa la vulnerabilidad sísmica mediante un método cualitativo, que fue usado en varios países para determinar la vulnerabilidad de las estructuras, y otro método cuantitativo, basado en la filosofía de la norma peruana sismoresistente E0.30. La metodología cualitativa, Índice de vulnerabilidad del FEMA P-154, emplea cartillas de evaluación visual rápida de la vulnerabilidad sísmica para cualquier edificación, en este caso instituciones educativas públicas, es muy útil al tener una data extensa. De la misma manera, la metodología cuantitativa evalúa según la distorsión los posibles efectos que puede tener una estructura después de un sismo severo. El distrito de Villa María del Triunfo fue seleccionado para emplear esta metodología por ser un lugar con poco mantenimiento de colegios y para mostrar que módulos o pabellones son seguros para que los pobladores de dicho lugar se refugien. / Peru is located in a high seismic zone due to the Pacific Ring of Fire; in which, several seismic events of great magnitude generated catastrophic consequences. In addition to this, more than 200 years ago doesn’t happen a mayor earthquake near the Peruvian capital. On the other hand, according to world politics, schools must serve as places of refuge to face any catastrophe. For this reason, it is important to evaluate which modules of public-school are able to withstand an important earthquake. Based on this, this thesis evaluates the seismic vulnerability by means of a qualitative method, which was used in several countries to determine the vulnerability of the structures, and another quantitative method, based on the philosophy of the norma peruana seismoresistente E0.30. The qualitative methodology, FEMA Vulnerability Index P-154, uses quick visual assessment sheets of seismic vulnerability for any building, in this case public educational institutions, is very efficient when a very extensive data is required. In the same way, the quantitative methodology evaluates, according to the distortion, the possible effects that a structure can suffer after a several earthquake. The district of Villa María del Triunfo was selected to use this methodology for being a place with little maintenance of schools and to show what modules or pavilions are safe for people to take refuge. / Tesis

Ingeniero Civil / La normativa chilena que regula el diseño sísmico de estructuras industriales de acero es la norma NCh2369.Of2003 Diseño sísmico de estructuras e instalaciones industriales . Esta norma refleja el estado del arte del diseño sísmico en Chile, basada en la experiencia obtenida del comportamiento de estructuras y equipos industriales durante los terremotos de 1960 en Concepción y 1985 en Valparaíso. Tras el terremoto de Maule el año 2010, se han puesto a revisión algunas disposiciones de la normativa. En el caso de estructuras industriales de acero, las disposiciones a modificar se centran en el diseño de arriostramientos y columnas. En el caso de arriostramientos, se evalúa eliminar la limitación del esfuerzo sísmico en diagonales comprimidas al 80% de su capacidad, además de cambios en el cálculo de vigas y riostras en marcos arriostrados de tipo V o V-invertida. En el caso de las columnas, se propone amplificar el esfuerzo sísmico en el factor 0.7R>2.0 con el fin de asegurar la estabilidad del sistema gravitacional posterior al pandeo y fluencia de arriostramientos y la plastificación de los pernos de anclaje. Para evaluar el efecto de estas modificaciones en el diseño y el desempeño, en este trabajo se modelan tres estructuras industriales de acero, basadas en marcos arriostrados concéntricamente, diseñándolas paralelamente con la normativa vigente e incluyendo las modificaciones propuestas. La evaluación del desempeño se lleva a cabo de acuerdo a la metodología indicada en el estándar FEMA P695, incluyendo la no linealidad de arriostramientos, rótulas plásticas y pernos de anclaje. En el caso del diseño, los tamaños relativos de los arriostramientos se ven mínimamente afectados por las modificaciones propuestas, ya que para las estructuras analizadas, el dimensionamiento está controlado por los límites de esbeltez global y local, por sobre los requerimientos de resistencia. En el caso de las columnas, las modificaciones propuestas imponen un aumento de su sección, lo que se traduce en un incremento de la masa sísmica y de las fuerzas de diseño, con variaciones del orden del 3% para ambas variables, además de un aumento de rigidez del sistema. La aplicación de la metodología del estándar FEMA P695 entrega mejoras en el desempeño, dadas principalmente por la ductilidad del sistema, con incrementos del 45%, 7% y 85% para cada una de las estructuras. La sobrerresistencia, por su parte, presenta variaciones del 3%, 5% y 18%, respectivamente. Si bien ninguna de las estructuras fue capaz de alcanzar el margen de seguridad mínimo establecido por la metodología, se aprecia que otorgando una mayor sobrerresistencia o una mayor ductilidad a la estructura y al anclaje estructura - fundación es posible mejorar el desempeño del sistema.

<p>It is important to investigate how HIV/AIDS  awareness affects adolescent sexual behavior and how the HIV/AIDS information from the schools and the ABC-program (abstinence, be faithful, condoms) affects the students HIV/AIDS awareness and sexual behavior. The methods used in this study consist of qualitative semi-structured interviews, a quantitative questionnaire and statistical analysis (mainly preformed in R). The purpose of this study is to analyze how sexual behavior can be affected by HIV/AIDS awareness. The results from the interviews and the questionnaire were very different. Especially when it comes to the (age of first intercourse), information from the interviews gave the impression of a younger age at first intercourse than the results from the questionnaire did. No evidence was found that adolescent sexual behavior is affected by HIV/AIDS awareness.</p><p>In the context of the ABC-program, the students were not found to be abstinent; due to school regulations that consent to the expulsion of sexually active students it is even possible that the students stated a higher (age of first sexual intercourse) than what is really true. One of the informants stated that some students are as young as eight years of age when they have their first sexual experience (informant 7). The majority of the male students answered that the age of first intercourse is about 15 to 16 years of age and the majority of the female students stated 17-18 years of age or older (table 3, question 8). No evidence in this study supports the hypothesis that adolescent sexual behavior is affected by access to condoms. Condom access did not lead to an increase of the occurrence of sexual relationships nor did it seem to cause a lower age of first intercourse. This was the results that derived form four generalized models that were preformed in the statistics program R (table 4). There seemed to be a notion from some of the informants that the most adolescents are sexually active and the schools reluctance against promoting condoms may lead to the spread of STI’s amongst the students and to unwanted teenage pregnancies. Condoms should be provided for free to all students in secondary schools.</p>