A Rapid Assessment Method for Evaluating the Seismic Risk of Individual Buildings in Lisbon

Francisco Mota de Sá, Mário Santos Lopes, Carlos Sousa Oliveira and Mónica Amaral Ferreira ()
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Francisco Mota de Sá: CERIS—Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Mário Santos Lopes: CERIS—Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Carlos Sousa Oliveira: CERIS—Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Mónica Amaral Ferreira: CERIS—Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-32

Abstract: Assessing the seismic performance of buildings from various epochs is essential for guiding retrofitting policies and educating occupants about their homes’ conditions. However, limited resources pose challenges. Some approaches focus on detailed analyses of a limited number of buildings, while others favor broader coverage with less precision. This paper presents a seismic risk assessment method that balances and integrates the strengths of both, using a comprehensive building survey. We propose a low-cost indicator for evaluating the structural resilience of individual buildings, designed to inform both authorities and property owners, support building rankings, and raise awareness. This indicator classifies buildings by their taxonomy and uses analytical capacity curves (2D or 3D studies) obtained from consulting hundreds of studies to determine the ultimate acceleration ( agu ) that each building type can withstand before collapse. It also considers irregularities found during the survey (to the exterior and interior) through structural modifiers Δ, and adjusts the peak ground acceleration the building can withstand, agu , based on macroseismic data from past events and based on potential retrofitting, Δ+. Although this method may not achieve high accuracy, it provides a significant approximation for detailed analysis with limited resources and is easy to replicate for similar constructions. The final agu value, considered as resistance, is then compared to the seismic demand at the foundation of the building (accounting for hazard and soil conditions at the building location), resulting in a final R -value. This paper provides specificities to the methodology and applies it to selected areas of the City of Lisbon, clearly supporting the advancement of a more sustainable society.

Keywords: building resistant capacity; risk assessment; risk indicator; rapid procedure; patrimony; decision making (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:6027-:d:1691935

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