Resumen

LOPEZ, Oscar A; HERNANDEZ, Julio J; DEL RE, Gianina  y  PUIG, José. Reduction of Seismic Risk in Venezuelan Schools. IMME [online]. 2004, vol.42, n.3, pp.33-56. ISSN 0376-723X.

The Cariaco earthquake in 1997 led to the ruin of four school buildings and the loss of 23 lives. The failures were the result of conceptual deficiencies in the structural system, typical of the seismic design of the past decades: Very low lateral strength and stiffness, low energy dissipation capacity, insufficient shear resistance and the presence of "short columns". On the other hand, the collapse of two buildings was also influenced because they were built in a seismic zone with twice the intensity specified in the construction plans. The schools identified as "Old Type" and "Box Type", similar to the schools that collapsed in Cariaco, can be found all along the country. Using linear dynamic and non-linear static analysis, the seismic risk at which they are exposed was determined in the different zones of Venezuela. "Old Type" schools are exposed to unacceptable risk and need to be retrofitted, even in moderate seismic zones as it has been shown in one school in Arenales where an earthquake of moderate intensity endanger the stability of the school. On the other hand, only "Box Type" schools located in the high hazard zones need to be retrofitted. A national plan for the mitigation of seismic risk in existing schools and for the construction of new earthquake resistant schools is proposed.

Palabras clave : Cariaco; schools; seismic risk; short columns; risk reduction.