Dr. Eric Noji overlooking the devastation in Dr. Eric Noji overlooking the devastation in Spitak in December 1988Spitak in December 1988

LESSONS FROM PAST LESSONS FROM PAST NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESNOTABLE EARTHQUAKES

PART VIIIPART VIII

PAST NOTABLE PAST NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

SPITAK, ARMENIASPITAK, ARMENIA

DECEMBER 7, 1988DECEMBER 7, 1988

EARTHQAKES ARE EARTHQAKES ARE DYNAMIC DYNAMIC LABORATORIESLABORATORIES FOR FOR

LEARNING AND CATALYSTS LEARNING AND CATALYSTS FOR FOR BUILDING CAPACITY BUILDING CAPACITY

FOR FOR DISASTER-INTELLIGENT DISASTER-INTELLIGENT & DISASTER-RESILIENT & DISASTER-RESILIENT

COMMUNITESCOMMUNITES

OCCURRENCEOCCURRENCE

SPITAK EARTHQUAKESPITAK EARTHQUAKE

M6.8M6.8 11:41 AM LOCAL 11:41 AM LOCAL

TIMETIME ““BLIND” THRUST BLIND” THRUST

FAULTFAULT INTENSITY X INTENSITY X (MSK (MSK

SCALE)SCALE)

SPITAK WAS IN THE SPITAK WAS IN THE “BULLS” EYE”“BULLS” EYE”

APT. BLDGS., APT. BLDGS., HOSPITALS AND HOSPITALS AND SCHOOLS SCHOOLS COLLAPSEDCOLLAPSED

INT’L SEARCH AND INT’L SEARCH AND RESCUE OF RESCUE OF TRAPPED VICTIMS TRAPPED VICTIMS

SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: COMPLEX TECTONICSCOMPLEX TECTONICS

ARMENIA: LOCATED IN THE ARMENIA: LOCATED IN THE LESSER CAUCASUS MTNSLESSER CAUCASUS MTNS

THE CAUSATIVE BLIND THRUST THE CAUSATIVE BLIND THRUST FAULT FAULT (USSR ACAD. OF SCI.)(USSR ACAD. OF SCI.)

INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO HORIZONTAL GROUND SHAKING

EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

SOIL AMPLIFICATION

PERMANENT DISPLACEMENT (SURFACE FAULTING &

GROUND FAILURE)

IRREGULARITIES IN ELEVATION AND PLAN

FIRE FOLLOWING RUPTURE OF UTILITIES

LACK OF DETAILING AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

INATTENTION TO NON-STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

CAUSES OF DAMAGECAUSES OF DAMAGE

“DISASTER LABORATORIES”“DISASTER LABORATORIES”

IMPACTS IMPACTS

BUILDINGSBUILDINGS

LESSONS LEARNED FOR LESSONS LEARNED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE

ALL NOTABLE ALL NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

PREPAREDNESS PREPAREDNESS PLANNING FOR PLANNING FOR THE THE INEVITABLE INEVITABLE GROUND GROUND SHAKINGSHAKING IS IS ESSENTIAL FOR ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.RESILIENCE.

LESSONS LEARNED FOR LESSONS LEARNED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE

ALL NOTABLE ALL NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

PROTECTION OF PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS AND BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE INFRASTRUCTURE IS ESSENTIAL IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY FOR COMMUNITY RESILIENCERESILIENCE..

SPITAK EARTHQUAKESPITAK EARTHQUAKE

SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALSHOSPITALS PERFORMED PERFORMED POORLYPOORLY

LOSS OF LOSS OF ESSENTIAL ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONSFUNCTIONS

MEDICAL SERVICES MEDICAL SERVICES WERE WERE UN-UN-AVAILABLEAVAILABLE IN THE IN THE HOUR OF HOUR OF GREATEST NEED. GREATEST NEED.

COLLAPSED SCHOOL: A COLLAPSED SCHOOL: A PROTECTION NIGHTMAREPROTECTION NIGHTMARE

ALL OF THE CHILDREN WERE ALL OF THE CHILDREN WERE KILLED KILLED WHEN SOME SCHOOLS COLLAPSED WHEN SOME SCHOOLS COLLAPSED ------

JUST JUST MINUTES BEFORE MINUTES BEFORE THEY WOULD THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED AND OUTSIDE HAVE BEEN DISMISSED AND OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL ON THE WAY HOME FOR THE SCHOOL ON THE WAY HOME FOR LUNCH.LUNCH.

THE VULNERABILITIES OF THE VULNERABILITIES OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS, SCHOOLS, APARTMENT BUILDINGS, SCHOOLS,

AND HOSPITALS CONSTRUCTED AND HOSPITALS CONSTRUCTED DURING THE END OF THE DURING THE END OF THE

BRESHNEV ERA WERE EXPOSED BY BRESHNEV ERA WERE EXPOSED BY THE STRONG GROUND SHAKING OF THE STRONG GROUND SHAKING OF

THE M6.8 EARTHQUAKE THE M6.8 EARTHQUAKE

SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: UN-SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: UN-REINFORCED MASONRYREINFORCED MASONRY

SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: UN-SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: UN-REINFORCED MASONRYREINFORCED MASONRY

SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: CONCRETE FRAME BUILDINGSCONCRETE FRAME BUILDINGS

SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: NEW SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: NEW BUILDINGS PERFORMED POORLYBUILDINGS PERFORMED POORLY

UN-ANCHORED FLOOR PLANKS UN-ANCHORED FLOOR PLANKS CAUSED COLLAPSESCAUSED COLLAPSES

One hundred and thirty-two One hundred and thirty-two nine-story precast-concrete-nine-story precast-concrete-

frame buildings collapsed frame buildings collapsed or were heavily damaged in or were heavily damaged in

Leninakan.Leninakan.

LENINAKAN: SOIL AMPLIFICATION LENINAKAN: SOIL AMPLIFICATION EXACERBATED DAMAGE POTENTIALEXACERBATED DAMAGE POTENTIAL

LENINAKAN DAMAGELENINAKAN DAMAGE

Leninakan's location along the eastern Leninakan's location along the eastern banks of the Akhurian River also banks of the Akhurian River also contributed significantly to the damagecontributed significantly to the damage, , because most buildings in the area were because most buildings in the area were built on shallow foundations sited on built on shallow foundations sited on thick sections of clay, sand, soil, and thick sections of clay, sand, soil, and tuffs which amplified the ground motion tuffs which amplified the ground motion and increased the duration of shaking.and increased the duration of shaking.

SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: CULTURAL SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: CULTURAL HERITAGE DESTROYEDHERITAGE DESTROYED

LESSONS LEARNED FOR LESSONS LEARNED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE

ALL NOTABLE ALL NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

PREPAREDNESS PREPAREDNESS PLANNING FOR PLANNING FOR THE THE INEVITABLE INEVITABLE GROUND FAILURE GROUND FAILURE IS ESSENTIAL IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY FOR COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.RESILIENCE.

LANDSLIDESLANDSLIDES

Hundreds to thousands of Hundreds to thousands of landslides were triggered west of landslides were triggered west of Alivar by the earthquake, but their Alivar by the earthquake, but their impacts were minor.impacts were minor.

LESSONS LEARNED FOR LESSONS LEARNED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE

ALL NOTABLE ALL NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

CAPACITY FOR CAPACITY FOR EMERGENCY EMERGENCY RESPONSE RESPONSE IS IS ESSENTIAL FOR ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY RESILIENCERESILIENCE..

SPITAK EARTHQUAKESPITAK EARTHQUAKE

PRESIDENT PRESIDENT GORBACHAV GORBACHAV WAS WAS THE GUEST OF THE GUEST OF PRESIDENT PRESIDENT REAGAN AND REAGAN AND PRESIDENT-ELECT PRESIDENT-ELECT BUSH IN NEW BUSH IN NEW YORK AT TIME OF YORK AT TIME OF QUAKE QUAKE

SOME SOME 70 70 COUNTRIES COUNTRIES SENT SENT PEOPLE AND PEOPLE AND SUPPLIESSUPPLIES

USA SENT MEDICAL USA SENT MEDICAL AND TECHNICAL AND TECHNICAL SPECIALISTS SPECIALISTS IMMEDIATELYIMMEDIATELY

A HISTORICAL NOTE OF A HISTORICAL NOTE OF INTERESTINTEREST

Russian military planes landed Russian military planes landed at USA’s Andrew’s Air Force at USA’s Andrew’s Air Force

base to collect the U.S. teams base to collect the U.S. teams for urgent travel to Armeniafor urgent travel to Armenia

DEBRIS AND TRAFFIC DEBRIS AND TRAFFIC HINDERED EM RESPONSE HINDERED EM RESPONSE

SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: SEARCH SPITAK EARTHQUAKE: SEARCH AND RESCUEAND RESCUE

LESSONS LEARNED FOR LESSONS LEARNED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE

ALL NOTABLE ALL NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

CAPACITY FOR CAPACITY FOR RECOVERY AND RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTIONRECONSTRUCTION IS ESSENTIAL FOR IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY RESILIENCERESILIENCE..

SPITAK EARTHQUAKESPITAK EARTHQUAKE

PRESIDENT PRESIDENT REAGAN AND REAGAN AND PRESIDENT-ELECT PRESIDENT-ELECT BUSH PROMISED BUSH PROMISED PRESIDENT PRESIDENT GORBACHAV GORBACHAV IMMEDIATE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCEASSISTANCE

USA AND USA AND 70 70 COUNTRIES COUNTRIES SENT SENT PEOPLE AND PEOPLE AND SUPPLIESSUPPLIES

UNESCO HELPED UNESCO HELPED PLAN RECOVERYPLAN RECOVERY

RECONSTRUCTION RECONSTRUCTION COSTS OF ABOUT COSTS OF ABOUT $16 BILLION $16 BILLION

At least 25,000 dead; several At least 25,000 dead; several thousand injured.thousand injured. More thanMore than 21,000 residences 21,000 residences were destroyed and were destroyed and 700,000 700,000 people people in northern Armenia were in northern Armenia were affected by this event.affected by this event.

IMPACTS: SPITAK EARTHQUAKEIMPACTS: SPITAK EARTHQUAKE

NEW NEW CONCRETE CONCRETE FRAME FRAME BUILDINGS BUILDINGS PERFORMED PERFORMED POORLY POORLY

SCHOOLS SCHOOLS PERFORMED PERFORMED POORLYPOORLY

AT LEAST AT LEAST 25,000 25,000 KILLEDKILLED

IF THE QUAKE HAD IF THE QUAKE HAD OCCURRED 5 OCCURRED 5 MINUTES LATERMINUTES LATER, , CHILDREN WOULD CHILDREN WOULD HAVE BEEN HAVE BEEN OUTSIDEOUTSIDE THE THE COLLAPSED COLLAPSED SCHOOLS SCHOOLS

WHAT HAS HAPPENEDWHAT HAS HAPPENED

““BLIND THRUST BLIND THRUST FAULT ZONES” FAULT ZONES” TO BE TO BE AVOIDED AVOIDED

SEISMIC DESIGN SEISMIC DESIGN PROVISIONS WERE PROVISIONS WERE UPGRADEDUPGRADED

THE “NEW” SPITAK IS THE “NEW” SPITAK IS A 4-STORY CITY WITH A 4-STORY CITY WITH MORE ATTENTION TO MORE ATTENTION TO DESIGN DETAILDESIGN DETAIL

EARTHQUAKE EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING ENGINEERING EMERGED AS A HIGH EMERGED AS A HIGH PRIORITYPRIORITY

THE AMERICAN THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA ARMENIA WAS WAS ESTABLISNED TO ESTABLISNED TO BUILD TECHNICAL BUILD TECHNICAL CAPACITY FOR THE CAPACITY FOR THE FUTURE FUTURE