Description
In the last decade, significant advancements have been carried out towards a national seismic risk assessment in terms of expected damage and related impact measures. These studies typically rely on a statistical census-data-based characterization of the building stock. Nevertheless, the decision-making process for the selection of the most suitable risk mitigation policies would highly benefit from a more specific building-by-building vulnerability evaluation. Moreover, at the urban area scale, it is crucial to properly consider the most critical interconnections between different layers (e.g., building stock, utility networks). In this context, and as a part of a wider research project, this paper aims to develop an innovative framework for seismic risk assessment of urban areas. The investigated procedure employs a multi-scale approach, from individual elements (e.g., single buildings, water pipelines), to various clusters and interconnected layers and, finally, the entire urban area. Moreover, a key feature relies on a multi-refinement level framework, which allows for the evaluation of loss metrics even in the case of limited knowledge. Alternative refinement levels involve: i) typological-based vulnerability assessment; ii) analytical/mechanical procedures, and iii) numerical (software-based) simulations. The uncertainties for each refinement level are assessed and propagated. The proposed procedure is illustrated for different archetypes of urban areas. Implementing such a framework in a City Digital Twin environment can enhance the awareness of stakeholders and the general population towards seismic risk prompting decision-makers in taking action.
