Jean Cueva

The availability of tsunami hazard and exposure information is crucial to support effective emergency response in coastal areas. This study presents an automated framework that integrates tsunami numerical simulation, geospatial exposure analysis, and WebGIS-based visualization to generate standardized hazard and exposure reports for decision support. Using a parallel implementation of the TUNAMI-N2 model, a 6-h tsunami simulation for the Peruvian coast can be completed in ~45 min, with hazard and exposure reports automatically published on a WebGIS platform within ~3 min. Application to the historical 1746 Lima tsunami demonstrates the system’s capability to quantify hazard and exposure for operational decision-making.

Effective post-earthquake decision-making requires reliable information regarding the structural damage to infrastructure. Service stations—commonly known as gas stations—represent critical infrastructure whose failure can have severe consequences in urban areas, including fires, casualties, property damage, and health risks. This study investigates the seismic behavior of such structures using a 1:10 scaled model tested on the shaking table at Peruvian-Japanese Center for Seismic Research and Disaster Mitigation. The experimental response was analyzed using signal processing techniques and modal identification within a bandpass frequency range of 1 to 5 Hz. Based on similitude laws, an equivalent full-scale dynamic model was calibrated to represent the real structure’s response. Subsequently, following SEAOC recommendations and the Peruvian Seismic Design Standard (NTE E.030), 150 capacity analyses were performed on service station models, considering structural height as the primary variable. For each height, force–drift relationships were derived, and corresponding peak ground accelerations were calculated for deterministic seismic events. The resulting damage intervals provide quantitative thresholds for evaluating the seismic performance of service stations. These outcomes can be incorporated into Sistema Experto Integrado para la Evaluación de Daños por Sismo, an expert system for seismic damage assessment in urban environments.

Between 1997 and 2013, low-ductility reinforced concrete (RC) wall systems were widely used in Peru’s real estate sector due to their economic advantages. Despite good engineering practice recommending a five-story height limit, this restriction was not explicitly included in the Peruvian standards of that period. Regulatory provisions were often supported by numerical models calibrated using one-story wall specimens, which neglect the flexural behavior that dominates in medium-rise structures. This underscores the need to evaluate the inelastic flexural response of such buildings under seismic loading. Cyclic loading tests were conducted on a half-scale, five-story RC wall to calibrate numerical models using a nonlinear multi-spring model of concrete and steel reinforcement behavior. The calibrated model enables accurate assessment of damage progression and performance under varying seismic intensities. Findings reveal that buildings constructed with low-ductility RC walls may have overestimated seismic capacity in their original design. Under severe seismic events, these buildings are likely to exceed reparability thresholds, while under rare seismic events, they approach structural collapse.