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<br /> <br />34 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Nearly a third of the <br />population of Agadir, Morocco, <br />perished when a nearby <br />earthquake (magnitude 5.7) <br />collapsed many of the city's <br />structures in February 1960, <br />killing 12,000. At top, an <br />apartment building before the <br />quake. At bottom, the same <br />site after the event. <br /> <br />~ <br />~ <br />z <br />~ <br />~ <br />o <br />I <br />W <br />" <br />~ <br />o <br />w <br />" <br /> <br />cal activities in a community. <br />Achieving these goals requires that the extent of <br />the earthquake risks and the exposure of citizens <br />first be identified. This task can take the form of <br />preparing earthquake risk maps, which plot the <br />probability of experiencing a specific level of <br />ground motion within a specific time. Determin- <br />ing the exposure of citizens relies on evaluating <br />the safety of existing structures, water and sewer <br />systems, gas and oil pipelines, and other lifelines. <br />However, determining structure safety is often <br />handicapped by an inability to assess materials <br />and designs used in older construction. <br />Even with the best determination of building <br />properties and conditions, the level of damage a <br />specific ground motion may cause still cannot be <br />predicted accurately. Nonetheless, a number of <br />techniques can be used to strengthen existing <br />structures, and many buildings have been retrofit- <br />ted for increased seismic resistance. As research <br />further develops these techniques and their cost <br />falls, more buildings can be upgraded. <br />What needs to be done during the Decade? <br />First, programs must be initiated that include <br />avoidance, through zoning, of construction on <br />vulnerable sites as well as evaluation and recon- <br />struction after a hazard occurs. In addition, <br />emergency response for buildings and lifelines <br />must be planned and care taken to ensure that <br />these plans are properly implemented, <br />Second, instrumentation networks must be <br />established to determine ground motion influ- <br />ences caused by local site conditions. Such net- <br />works will also provide the means to determine <br />the relationship between specific ground motions <br />and the degree of damage to man-made structures <br />- from initial damage to ultimate collapse. <br />Third, a testing program must be undertaken to <br />explore this relationship between ground motions <br />and the behavior of man-made structures up to the <br />point of collapse, and to develop economical <br />methods to improve the safety of existing build- <br />Ings. <br />Further, efforts must be made to sustain a <br />reasonable level of earthquake preparedness in <br />the minds of citizens. This need includes a <br />continued readiness to respond to earthquake <br />warnings despite the long periods between de- <br />structive quakes and the uncertainties of most <br />warnIngs. <br />Potential projects during the IDNHR include: <br /> <br /> <br />