Architectural analysis of the seismic vulnerability of the main residential construction systems in zone 8 of Mixco, Guatemala

Abstract

Achieving that human settlements are increasingly safe, inclusive, resilient and sustainable is one of the commitments acquired as part of the sustainable development objectives set by the United Nations for 2030. In this framework, it presents the synthesis of a model to identify, at a residential level and with an architectural approach, the behavior and seismic vulnerability of buildings in order to highlight the importance of integrating seismic risk in urban development plans, land planning and real estate developments. The model helps identify the most vulnerable areas and populations at the time of a large-scale seismic event, based mainly on the homogeneity of the predominant construction system, the ​​geological fault attention area and high risk declared areas. As a methodological tool for the analysis of seismic damage and vulnerability, the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS-98) was used, a scale widely used in Europe and other countries of the world for the evaluation of seismic intensity after an earthquake. Its application encourages cooperation between seismologists, engineers and urban planners as part of a procedure to construct future scenarios to estimate possible losses caused by earthquakes.