Seismic performance of buildings during the magnitude 7.3 Kermanshah, Iran earthquake

Abstract

In this paper, the findings and data of a large-scale reconnaissance mission following the November 12, 2017, M7.3 Kermanshah earthquake near the Iran-Iraq border are presented. The earthquake affected multiple cities in both countries and led to widespread damage and notable casualties and fatalities. The highest peak ground acceleration was recorded in Sarpol-e Zahab at 0.7g. As part of two trips, the data on nearly 1200 buildings in eight cities were collected by devising a sampling scheme to maximize the coverage of the survey, which was then employed to compile regional damage statistics. The spatial distribution of damage is presented for the entire region as well as various cities and neighborhoods in each city. The damage statistics are also disaggregated based on structural building, occupancies, and risk categories. The damage sustained by various categories of building components and contents is also assessed. In addition, the damage at the component level is closely examined for the structural and nonstructural components of severely damaged buildings to reveal the underlying causes that root in poor construction practices, lax enforcement of the building code, and inadequate seismic design provisions. Finally, the damage to hospitals in the region is investigated. This data, which can be augmented through a similar approach in the aftermath of probable future earthquakes, is key in calibrating the regional risk and resilience analysis of communities.