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The Delhi Earthquake Safety Initiative for Lifeline Buildings aims to improve
seismic safety in India by building capacity to undertake seismic assessment and retrofit
projects. In order to accomplish this goal, GeoHazards International (GHI) is taking an
experience-based, hands-on approach, pairing highly regarded and experienced US practitioners,
from the private, public, academic, and non-governmental sectors, with local Indian
counterparts to transfer knowledge and arrive at locally appropriate solutions. The vehicle
for this approach is the seismic retrofit of selected lifeline buildings (i.e., essential
facilities) in Delhi. A peer review panel composed of Indian and American experts provides
technical expertise and mentoring to local engineers and officials responsible for carrying
out the retrofit work. The project's purpose is to provide a model program for seismic
evaluation and retrofit that can be replicated throughout India and other countries.
The buildings being retrofit as part of this project include: the Delhi Secretariat,
the Delhi Police Headquarters building; Ludlow Castle School, several buildings at Guru
Tegh Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, and the office complex at 5 Sham Nath Marg. Project buildings
house a number of important activities that will be even more critical following an earthquake.
The Delhi Secretariat houses the offices of a number of important government officials for the
National Capital Territory of Delhi, including those of the Chief Secretary. In addition to
the Police Department, the Delhi Police Headquarters building houses offices of key officials
in the Delhi Public Works Department, including the Engineer-In-Chief. These engineers will
play crucial roles following an earthquake, such as inspecting buildings for damage, repairing
streets, and restoring utility services. Ludlow Castle School is a government school with
approximately 1700 students, and can be used as an emergency shelter. GTB Hospital provides
healthcare to thousands of Trans-Yamuna and East Delhi residents daily, and will be badly needed
following an earthquake. The key functions housed at 5 Sham Nath Marg include the Delhi Disaster
Management Authority, a police control room, and a future emergency operations center.
Project buildings include a number of non-ductile reinforced concrete frame structures
of varying heights and configurations, and several unreinforced masonry structures. Due to
economics and local material availability, the retrofit solutions for the concrete frame
structures will be concrete solutions, such as shear walls. Unreinforced masonry structures
will be retrofit using a system of microconcrete seismic belts developed in India. Retrofit
schemes for the concrete frame buildings are currently being finalized, with nonlinear static
analyses and discussions with building stakeholders ongoing. Construction documents are
being prepared for the unreinforced masonry structures.
Three peer review panel meetings have been held to date: two in Delhi, and one in California.
Highlights of the first meeting in Delhi included site visits and walk-through inspections of
all project buildings. The second meeting in Palo Alto included a project progress review and
a number of technical tours of retrofitted buildings in the San Francisco Bay area, and
presentations by local earthquake engineering experts. The third meeting in Delhi included
a number of significant technical discussions and decisions, plus a tour of the experimental
facilities at Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. Several more peer review panel meetings
will be held in the next 18 months to review construction documents, quality control plans,
and construction. Funding to extend the project through the construction phase is currently
being sought from the US Agency for International Development, and is expected to be
forthcoming, because the project is strongly supported by the Indian government. |
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