Rapid Assessment of Seismic Vulnerability in the Palestine Refugee Camps
Publication Type
Original research
Authors
  • Jalal Al Dabbeek
  • Radwan El- Kelani
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Studies of historical and recorded earthquakes in Palestine demonstrate that damaging earthquakes are occurring frequently along the Dead Sea Transform: Earthquake of 11 July 1927 (ML 6.2), Earthquake of 11 February 2004 (ML 5.2). In order to reduce seismic vulnerability of buildings, losses in lives, properties and infrastructures, an attempt was made to estimate the percentage of damage degrees and losses at selected refugee camps: Al Ama'ri, Balata and Dhaishe. Assessing the vulnerability classes of building structures was carried out according to the European Macro-Seismic Scale 1998 (EMS-98) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The rapid assessment results showed that very heavy structural and non structural damages will occur in the common buildings of the investigated Refugee Camps (many buildings will suffer from damages grades 4 and 5). Bad quality of buildings in terms of design and construction, lack of uniformity, absence of spaces between the building and the limited width of roads will definitely increase the seismic vulnerability under the influence of moderate-strong (M 6-7) earthquakes in the future.
Journal
Title
Journal of Applied Sciences 8 (8): pp 1371-1382 ISSN 1812-5624
Publisher
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Publisher Country
Palestine
Publication Type
Both (Printed and Online)
Volume
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Year
2008
Pages
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