The Earth Sciences and Seismic Engineering Center Participates in the RELEMR Workshop in Cyprus
06 March 2011
Between February 28th and March 3rd, Dr. Jalal Dabbeek, Director of the Earth Sciences and Seismic Center (ESSEC) at An-Najah University, participated in the international RELEMR (Reduction of Earthquake Losses in the Extended Mediterranean Region) workshop on seismicity and earthquake engineering in the extended Mediterranean region.
The workshop which was sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was hosted by the Cyprus Geological Survey Department in Nicosia, Cyprus; more than 60 senior scientists in the extended Mediterranean region participated in the workshop.
In the workshop, Dr. Dabbeek presented a work paper titled “The Degree of Awareness of Seismic Risk among Palestinian Engineers” which is a study that he accomplished in cooperation with the Opinion Polls and Survey Studies Center at An-Najah represented by its director, Dr. Hussein Ahmad, and the Engineering Association-Al-Quds Center.
Dr. Dabbeek’s study aimed to uncover what knowledge and awareness the Palestinian engineers have regarding earthquake risk in the region, as well as what knowledge they have of the various means of reducing such risk when designing buildings and infrastructure. In his paper Dr. Dabbeek also informed that there is a need to carry out work in partnership with concerned institutions to lay out plans that aim at developing the potentials of engineers and to enact legislations and proper mechanisms for their implementation. The regulations and their implementation policies will be congruent with international requirements, particularly those published within the Hyogo Framework for Action for the period 2005-2015.
Dr. Dabbeek also mentioned that a special questionnaire was designed for this study so that the needed data was obtained from engineers. He also explained that the specified questionnaire included questions about the educational backgrounds of engineers and other demographic features. In addition to this it included questions related to the engineers’ knowledge and awareness of the means that reduce the risks of earthquakes and his/her commitment and application of such means when designing, supervising and executing building projects.
According to the study, it turned out that the majority of engineers believed that Palestine (Occupied Territories-oPt) will be subject to earthquakes in the future. More than half of the engineers said they did not study seismic design during their university study. He also said that the study revealed that a small percentage of engineers said they had participated in workshops in the field of seismic design of buildings. However, the majority of respondents said that there is a pressing need to hold seminars and workshops that address seismic designs in buildings.
Also, less than one fifth of the engineers said that they, their firms, or their ministries had received the seismic map of oPt. In addition, the majority of them said that they had not used the seismic map which was issued by the Earth Sciences and Seismic Engineering Center at An-Najah.
The study showed that less than one fifth of respondents knew that the Committee of Engineering Offices issued regulations regarding the need for commitment to seismic designs. Conversely, Dr. Dabbeek said that they have found that more than 75% of the respondents knew that engineers and engineering firms are obliged to design seismic resistant buildings; such designs must be supervised and followed up by the concerned legal parties. Moreover, nearly half of the respondents did not know and have not dealt with the minimum requirements of seismic resistant buildings before.
Dr. Dabbeek also presented a second work paper in which he described the results of some of the comprehensive planning studies of land uses, in addition to studies on some of the factors related to the impact of the buildings seismic site effects. This includes determining soil profiles, the Velocity of Shear Waves (S Waves), in addition to determining the Seismic Amplification Factor, as well as the possibility of land slides occurrence in the areas under study.
Ever since the first RELEMR meeting which was held in Cairo back in 1993, nearly 30 similar meetings were held in various countries in the world. In all these meetings the participants discuss regional approaches to improve seismic data (more accurate locations and improved magnitude estimates), probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA), engineering issues (reasons for building failures), and the production of a RELEMR seismicity map.
This year workshop included sessions for general presentations on seismology, geology and earthquake engineering. Moreover, the workshop featured, for the first time, a special session on Tsunamis. In addition to discussions sessions a field trip was organized for the participants to the southern part of Cyprus where they were introduced to the neotectonic activities, such as active faults, reverse stratigraphy and folding.
The workshop aimed to improve knowledge regarding the reduction of earthquake losses and served as an opportunity to contribute to the safety and well-being of people in the extended Mediterranean region.
The workshop which was sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was hosted by the Cyprus Geological Survey Department in Nicosia, Cyprus; more than 60 senior scientists in the extended Mediterranean region participated in the workshop.
In the workshop, Dr. Dabbeek presented a work paper titled “The Degree of Awareness of Seismic Risk among Palestinian Engineers” which is a study that he accomplished in cooperation with the Opinion Polls and Survey Studies Center at An-Najah represented by its director, Dr. Hussein Ahmad, and the Engineering Association-Al-Quds Center.
Dr. Dabbeek’s study aimed to uncover what knowledge and awareness the Palestinian engineers have regarding earthquake risk in the region, as well as what knowledge they have of the various means of reducing such risk when designing buildings and infrastructure. In his paper Dr. Dabbeek also informed that there is a need to carry out work in partnership with concerned institutions to lay out plans that aim at developing the potentials of engineers and to enact legislations and proper mechanisms for their implementation. The regulations and their implementation policies will be congruent with international requirements, particularly those published within the Hyogo Framework for Action for the period 2005-2015.
Dr. Dabbeek also mentioned that a special questionnaire was designed for this study so that the needed data was obtained from engineers. He also explained that the specified questionnaire included questions about the educational backgrounds of engineers and other demographic features. In addition to this it included questions related to the engineers’ knowledge and awareness of the means that reduce the risks of earthquakes and his/her commitment and application of such means when designing, supervising and executing building projects.
According to the study, it turned out that the majority of engineers believed that Palestine (Occupied Territories-oPt) will be subject to earthquakes in the future. More than half of the engineers said they did not study seismic design during their university study. He also said that the study revealed that a small percentage of engineers said they had participated in workshops in the field of seismic design of buildings. However, the majority of respondents said that there is a pressing need to hold seminars and workshops that address seismic designs in buildings.
Also, less than one fifth of the engineers said that they, their firms, or their ministries had received the seismic map of oPt. In addition, the majority of them said that they had not used the seismic map which was issued by the Earth Sciences and Seismic Engineering Center at An-Najah.
The study showed that less than one fifth of respondents knew that the Committee of Engineering Offices issued regulations regarding the need for commitment to seismic designs. Conversely, Dr. Dabbeek said that they have found that more than 75% of the respondents knew that engineers and engineering firms are obliged to design seismic resistant buildings; such designs must be supervised and followed up by the concerned legal parties. Moreover, nearly half of the respondents did not know and have not dealt with the minimum requirements of seismic resistant buildings before.
Dr. Dabbeek also presented a second work paper in which he described the results of some of the comprehensive planning studies of land uses, in addition to studies on some of the factors related to the impact of the buildings seismic site effects. This includes determining soil profiles, the Velocity of Shear Waves (S Waves), in addition to determining the Seismic Amplification Factor, as well as the possibility of land slides occurrence in the areas under study.
Ever since the first RELEMR meeting which was held in Cairo back in 1993, nearly 30 similar meetings were held in various countries in the world. In all these meetings the participants discuss regional approaches to improve seismic data (more accurate locations and improved magnitude estimates), probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA), engineering issues (reasons for building failures), and the production of a RELEMR seismicity map.
This year workshop included sessions for general presentations on seismology, geology and earthquake engineering. Moreover, the workshop featured, for the first time, a special session on Tsunamis. In addition to discussions sessions a field trip was organized for the participants to the southern part of Cyprus where they were introduced to the neotectonic activities, such as active faults, reverse stratigraphy and folding.
The workshop aimed to improve knowledge regarding the reduction of earthquake losses and served as an opportunity to contribute to the safety and well-being of people in the extended Mediterranean region.
