It is of great significance to conduct seismic hazard prediction in mitigating the damage caused by earthquakes in urban area. In this study, a geographic information system (GIS)-based seismic hazard prediction system for urban earthquake disaster prevention planning is developed, incorporating structural vulnerability analysis, program development, and GIS. The system is integrated with proven building vulnerability analysis models, data search function, spatial analysis function, and plotting function. It realizes the batching and automation of seismic hazard prediction and the interactive visualization of predicted results. Finally, the system is applied to a test area and the results are compared with results from previous studies, the precision of which was improved because the construction time of the building was taken into consideration. Moreover, the system is of high intelligence and minimal manual intervention. It meets the operating requirements of non-professionals and provides a feasible technique and operating procedure for large-scale urban seismic hazard prediction. Above all, the system can provide data support and aid decision-making for the establishment and implementation of urban earthquake disaster prevention planning.

Seismic hazard prediction is essential for earthquake preparation in urban areas. Prediction methods based on refined the finite element method (FEM) models and time-history analysis require higher calculation, which is hard to apply universally. In this paper, by applying two simplified models and time-history analysis, the authors were able to develop a refined seismic hazard prediction system for urban buildings using MATLAB and OpenSees. The system is modular in design with a unified data interface to transfer data, where only the macro parameters of buildings are required to complete the computation work. Taking the campus of Tongji University as a test area, the system was applied to predict seismic hazard and compare it with the results of the vulnerability method by applying the seismic damage index to verify its reliability. The results show that the system can meet the needs of accuracy, efficiency, and visualization of seismic hazard prediction in urban areas.

In this paper, a single-layer lamella reticulated dome with reinforced concrete bearings was studied, and a method of column-top isolation was proposed to improve the seismic performance of the whole structure, thereby avoiding too large support stiffness in engineering practice. A nonlinear time-history analysis showed that lead rubber bearings (LRB) can reduce the support reaction to a certain extent and make it distribute uniformly, reducing the support design requirements under frequent earthquakes. During rare earthquakes, the LRB was basically in the plastic state and the support reaction remained near the yield force, which was reduced greatly compared with that of the original structure. The bearing hysteresis curve was full, while the plasticity development degree of the upper reticulated dome was greatly reduced and the elasticity was basically maintained, thus achieving a good damping effect.

According to laws and regulations, the double-line cross-river shield tunnels should be set up with evacuation exits which are generally chosen as the transverse evacuating passages, for the need of disaster prevention, rescue, and ventilation. However, due to the stiffness difference between tunnel and transverse passage, it will generate differential settlements and additional local stress under various factors, causing cracks easily and bringing about great hidden danger to waterproof and normal operating condition. This paper takes a certain crossing tunnel as an example to estimate the long-term settlement under vehicle loads, using the method combined with empirical formula and finite element analysis, and the calculation model of accumulative plastic strain and accumulated pore pressure, which is based on the theory of self-organized criticality. Finally, by comparing the long-term settlements in different positions, the risk for main tunnel and transverse passage during the operation caused by long-term differential settlement is analyzed.

The seismic performance assessment of building community prior to the occurrence of earthquakes is important to the disaster prevention and relief planning. However, one big challenge is the available information for assessment is generally limited, which makes the reliability of the assessment low. In this paper, a new approach to extraction and analysis of high-resolution remote sensing images is proposed to facilitate its prior seismic performance assessment. The proposed approach is finally verified by the case study of Dujiangyan urban area in Wenchuan earthquake. In the case study, the performance of the buildings during the earthquake were extracted from the aftershock remote sensing images by the application of the image change detection technology, and it is compared with the results from the prior assessment with the proposed approach. The comparison shows that the consistency is well between the prior assessment and the aftershock investigation.