Seismic capacity survey and earthquake risk assessment of self-built buildings in rural areas of Shanghai Municipality

This study conducted field research and theoretical calculations to gain an overall understanding of the seismic performance of these buildings. Self-built buildings in rural areas exhibit varying levels of seismic performance, and despite the transformative development in the region over the past decades, such buildings continue to exist in Shanghai Municipality.

In this study, 819 self-built buildings were classified according to their age, field research was conducted to test mortar strength and connection reliability, and the seismic performance of these buildings was analyzed. The results confirm that a considerable stock of unreinforced masonry buildings constructed in the peri-urban townships of Shanghai, especially those erected prior to 1990, exhibit markedly deficient seismic performance and are highly vulnerable to collapse or severe damage from earthquakes. This poses a significant threat to catastrophic casualties and disproportionate economic losses. Consequently, a systematic, high-resolution survey coupled with targeted seismic retrofitting is urgently required to mitigate earthquake-induced disaster risks in building inventories.