Seismic Risk Mitigation Plan for School Buildings in El Salvador

Aim of the project

The main objective of the technical support by University College London and Universidad de los Andes, Colombia in collaboration with the World Bank and the Ministry of Education (MINRED) of El Salvador was to design a short, medium and long intervention strategy to reduce the vulnerability of the educational infrastructure at the National level in El Salvador in the face of natural hazards, in particular the seismic threat which is prevalent in this area.

Methodology

1. The data collection is a major challenge for the national level school infrastructure. Trainings for field data collection following the GLOSI data collection methodology was provided for a local consultancy company ‘SEISMICA’ who carried out the data collection of school infrastructure at national level.
2. Probabilistic seismic hazard maps were created based on the historical seismic events.
3. Using the GLOSI taxonomy, a number of major building types were identified, and their numerical analysis, fragility and vulnerability assessment were carried out following the GLOSI methodology (https://gpss.worldbank.org/en/GLOSI).
4. A number of seismic retrofitting strategies were also designed based on the seismic vulnerability of different typologies. Accordingly, an intervention plan was devised which is currently being implemented in the country.

Outputs

• Exposure database of the national school infrastructure

Figure 1 Photograph of a confined masonry school building (CM/LR/ND)

• Numerical models, capacity curves, fragility functions and vulnerability functions for main RC and masonry typologies

Figure 3. Numerical model created using the Applied Element Method for a typical confined masonry school typology (CM/LR/ND).

Figure 4. Vulnerability function for a typical confined masonry typology (CM/LR/MD).

• Retrofit solutions for main RC and masonry typologies
• Risk results before and after retrofit intervention

Figure 6 Risk results for the national level school infrastructure in existing and retrofitted condition.

• Intervention strategy and disaster risk management plan for structural resilience
• Capacity building activities (field data collection training, workshop on the hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment)

Funding

Global Program for Safer Schools, The World Bank

Project Period

August 2017 – September 2018

Partners

UCL EPICentre, The World Bank, Universidad de Los Andes, MINRED (Ministry of Education) El Salvador