Urban Disaster Prevention

Juan Jose CASTRO (International Student Center)

Objective
  In recent years highly populated urban areas around the world have been intensively affected by natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and hurricanes. The primary objective of this course is to provide knowledge and understanding of the natural hazards mechanism and how they affect the urban areas. The structural damage, reconstruction and retrofit of buildings and damage of lifeline will be analyzed. Moreover countermeasure for disaster mitigation will be discussed.

Course Outline and Description (Topics and Issues)
   1. Introduction
   2. Review of Natural Disasters and mitigation along the History
   3. Basic concepts of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology. Earthquake Mechanism
   4. Response and damage of several types of structures due to seismic actions (Buildings, Lifeline Structures)
   5. 1995 Hyogo ken Nanbu Earthquake and others major earthquakes in Japan
   6-7. Disaster due to Earthquakes in foreign countries (Peru, Turkey, Sichuan, Haiti,)
   8. Disasters caused by Tsunamis, Flows
   9. Disasters caused by Typhoons, and Hurricanes
   10. Visit to a disaster prevention facility (Report)
   11. Urban renewal after major events, Waste management and recycling after a disaster
   12. Training and education for disaster mitigation
   13. Countermeasure for disaster mitigation
   14-15. Students Oral Presentation

Textbooks
  There is no assigned textbook. Reading material will distributed in each class.

Grading Criteria
   Attendance 30%
   Report and Class participation 30%
   Presentation 40%