Daniela Dobre

Multi-Hazard Scenarios and Impact Mapping for a Protected Built Area in Bucharest, as a Base for Emergency Planning

In urban areas, there is a need to evaluate the dynamics and impacts of impending disasters, in order to ensure planning for resilience, emergency actions, and humanitarian support. In this respect, a Bucharest area that suffered a deep trauma in the 1980s was studied. The total or partial demolition of the old urban fabric was ordered by the authoritarian regime to build a new Civic Center. The area was declared as a protected built area in the 1990s. The inventory of the building stock was done in the framework of this project, based on data on building’s age, height, and materials. Additionally, the cultural value was studied with scoring criteria and methods, based on the six scaling stages of the Romanian Law of Monuments. The functional value, as well as the seismic damage and vulnerability, was evaluated for existing building classes. The paper presents examples of multi-hazard scenarios elaborated for this area, considering earthquakes, flooding, and terrorist attacks on public institutions. The spatial databases and online tools were used for mapping the buildings, as well as hazard impacts. According to the results of the above scenarios, shelters/security centers can be created, for earthquake evacuation, in the nearby “Mihai Eminescu” College while, for high-level flooding, the refuge and shelter area should be located in a higher place, near the Academy House or the Romanian Parliament. For other hazards, a center located either at “Mihai Eminescu” College or in Izvor Park is recommended.

A Holistic And Integrative Concept For Strong-Motion Records On Constructions Of The URBAN-INCERC National Seismic Network

Abstract The main objective of the National Seismic Network for Constructions, operated by the National Institute for Research and Development in Constructions, Urban Planning and Spatial Territorial Development “URBAN-INCERC”, is the monitoring of situations generated by earthquakes or other dangerous sources of vibrations induced in constructions on the entire Romanian territory. The NIRD URBAN-INCERC seismic records obtained in-situ and on buildings were and are extremely important for designers, especially in 1977, 1986 and 1990. It is the largest network in Romania, consisting of some 60 digital acceleration recorders distributed in Bucharest and in the country. This network is strategic from the population safety point of view. Due to the specific seismic hazard and vulnerability, our country shall be in preparation for the impact of a possible earthquake, which cannot be predicted in time domain, but it is possible to occur anytime. To prevent and mitigate negative consequences of such an event, urgent actions are required to ensure structural safety. Given the facts, Romania is in a critical time on strategic options regarding the seismic risks. Presently, a urgent necessity is the seismic network function in order to get as much as possible strong-motion data for advanced research and to understand why damages in buildings occurred. The next goal is to have more parametric and spectral data for engineering design, as well as to improve the zoning maps, having more stations at reduced distances. If possible, strong-motion micro-zonation data would explain some specific shaking differences, as a future option for local arrays. The paper presents the necessity, means and requirements of achieving a holistic and integrative concept for the national seismic network of constructions, taking into account geological settings, environmental and local soil conditions on regional profiles, attenuation patterns, architectural and structural patterns, and number of seismic stations in specific seismic zones. Also, a case study of building seismic instrumentation in Bucharest according to the Romanian Seismic Design code, indicative P100-1:2013.

Coping with earthquakes in Romania: advanced concepts and learning tools using a training platform and facility

Earthquake preparedness of citizens is recognised as an efficient means for better coping with shaking impact and making easier the emergency management. Romania represents a specific case where the unique Vrancea intermediate seismic source, at the curvature of Carpathian Mountains, causes intense shaking and losses at several decades interval, but, after that, many generations do not have an opportunity to develop their own coping mechanisms. The paper will present the nature, the agenda and the planning of a centre for learning, education and training concerning safer earthquake behaviour, within a concept and a platform that include rooms, logistics and a dedicated website, media tools, etc. The research project was carried out by The National Research and Development Institute URBAN-INCERC, INCERC Bucharest Branch, and financed by MDRAP – Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration, Bucharest (formerly MDRT-Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism), Bucharest, Romania.