The work performed in the current project was structured in different tasks split in four main work packages (WPs). The scheme attached, also known as a Project Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) diagram describes schematically the WPs in the PARTNER project and the interdependencies between them through the red arrows, the direction of the arrow showing which activity is the input to which. The main activities in each WP are represented in the dark-blue boxes, in which also references to the proposed deliverables are made.
Work Package 1: Seismic Hazard
The objective WP1 was to develop site-specific models for the generation of synthetic ground motion time histories, and it was successful completed. The hazard model developed is general and can be used for producing catalogues of synthetic ground motion records statistically consistent with recorded data, even in areas with poor historical data. A comprehensive characterisation of earthquakes is done in the model proposed, as function moment magnitudes and epicentral distances, as well as source and site conditions, all essential parameters for the appropriate description of the frequency content of earthquakes.
Work Package 2: Exposure
WP2 was aiming to provide a methodology to account more accurately for the exposed to catastrophe risk in order to assess more accurately and meaningfully the special distribution of losses. The work in this work package is summarized by the following two activities: (1) to propose advanced methodologies to analyse more accurately complex structures, such as multi-story buildings and infrastructures, e.g. bridges, subjected to seismic loads; and (2) to assess the spatial distribution of losses with respect to retrofitting methods applied to assets exposed to earthquake risk, and more importantly.
Work package 3: Vulnerability
The aim of WP 3 was to formulate a framework that produces vulnerability functions for structures. These functions show how vulnerable different types of structures, such as multi-story buildings made of different materials, infrastructure, are to different types of earthquake characterised by their moment magnitudes and epicentral distances. Based on these functions losses can be estimated for different types of buildings based on their occupancy type, material built, foundation, in case they are struck by an earthquake event.
Work package 4: Risk Reduction & Transfer
WP 4 is mainly the result of the catastrophe-modelling framework and also represents ways of using this framework for different purposes, summarized best by the two main activities of this WP: (1) risk transfer and (2) risk reduction.
The risk-transfer activity developed herein treated alternative risk-transfer products, unlike the traditional insurance. These novel products are based on earthquake-related indexes, which determine in the case of a catastrophic seismic event, whether the risk-transfer product triggers a payout or not, irrespective of the level or whether the damage actually occurred following that event. Thus the losses produced by earthquakes and these indexes must have a good statistical dependence for the product to be fair. The risk-reduction activity studied several seismic-vibration-reduction devices such as (a) the viscous damper, (b) the tuned-mass damper and (c) the tuned-inerter damper (TID). A higher focus was emphasized on the last device, with applications for multi-story buildings and cable-stayed bridges.
