Earthquakes recorded throughout history, have shown that one of the factors that results in a loss of human lives
due to collapse of structures. Poor quality materials, non-compliance of earthquake-resistant standards and
unskilled labor influence inappropriate behavior.
The seismic vulnerability study determines the security level of an area or structure to the earthquakes that can
occur on the site. It makes a diagnosis of performance levels of a structure and assesses the possible behavior.
In this article we report the results of the seismic vulnerability study of homes built in the La Paz neighborhood
located south-west of Barranquilla, Colombia. Most buildings are for one-story homes built in masonry structural
without follow-up technical specifications or professional advice in construction, usually built by the system of
self, that is, built by their owners, does predict that in the event of an earthquake, the vulnerability of these
households is high.
To strengthen and reduce the vulnerability of structures presents a proposal for structural design based on unit
masonry walls with beams and columns confined reinforced concrete slab foundation and specifications regarding
the quality of materials, following the guidelines established in the NSR-10.
Keywords: seismic vulnerability, vulnerability index, earthquake forces, confined masonry.
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