Reducing seismic vulnerability and comprehensive rehabilitation of educational buildings in Venezuela

SOCIAL SEISMIC VULNERABILITY

Abstract

The vulnerability of educational buildings in Venezuela to earthquakes is discussed. There are 29,804 schools in the National Inventory, 82.2 % are public and 17.8 % are private. 69.4 % are located in areas of high seismic hazard and 30.6 % in intermediate and low areas. Six construction systems with high seismic vulnerability have been identified: 1) Old I, 2) MOP-Mindur Box, 3) Old II, 4) Base Module, 5) Variel and 6) Original R System. The buildings collapsed in Cariaco in 1997 belonged to types 1 and 2. 94 Old I buildings have been counted, 66 are in high hazard areas, and 367 Cajetón MOP-Mindur type, of which 308 are in areas of
high hazard, according to the Covenin code. 36 comprehensive rehabilitation projects have been developed for the most vulnerable systems, of which 23 are located in the Sucre State, the area with the greatest seismic hazard in the country, awaiting resources to carry out the construction works. The case of the “Guillermo Gamarra” school is described as an example of the execution of a comprehensive rehabilitation that should be repeated in the country. It is recommended to develop a National Plan to reduce seismic risk, which in the short term proceeds with the structural reinforcement of highly vulnerable buildings located in areas of moderate and high seismic hazard.