Research Scope and objectives:
The scope of the project includes compilation of a comprehensive database of building damage and seismic records in Bangkok and Chiang Mai from the 7.7-magnitude Myanmar earthquake. The objective includes analyzing the correlation between seismic parameters and actual damage to assess building vulnerability across different ground motions. The finding will help in proposing the urgent policy and engineering recommendations, including design code updates and recovery prioritization plans.
Donor, Partners and Geographical scope:
The donor of the project is National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT). The project will cover Bangkok and Chiang Mai province, in understanding how different earthquakes influence the damages in the buildings in the urban area. The project will be carried out in collaboration with Mahidol University as project partner, for supporting compilation and assessment of data and technical recommendations.
AIT role and responsibilities:
AIT will be the technical and research partner in this project, contributing in the data collection and database development from the seismic records. Assessment of the relationship between ground motion characteristics and observed building damages will also be supported by AIT. Technical expertise, evidence-based engineering recommendations and support the preparation of policy guidance for design codes updates and future risk reduction are the main responsibilities
Expected outcomes and impact:
The project is expected to produce publications and develop a research database on building damage and seismic records with focus on Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The use of survey data and measurement data obtained from this research will help to assess the damage to buildings in Bangkok more accurately. It can also identify the vulnerability of each building, which will assist in planning and strengthening to make buildings more resilient to future earthquakes.
Lessons learned and way forward:
The increasing seismic activities in Thailand, particularly in the urban areas of Bangkok and Chiang Mai has raised the concern. The study will improve the understanding of the vulnerability of different types of buildings under varying ground motion conditions based on the comparison between actual damage and seismic records. The finding will impact the future designs, damage assessment, preparedness and plannings. Moving forward it can be expected to include more locations in the database to provide a stronger evidence base for seismic risk reduction and resilient urban development in Thailand.
