Tectonic hazards/Seismic risk

Seismic risk associated with a particular building structure is the potential economic, social and environmental consequences of hazardous events that may occur in a specified period of time. Thus, a building located in a region of high seismic hazard is at lower risk if it is built to sound seismic engineering principles.

Determination of seismic risk is crucial for risk mitigation decision-making. Insurance companies routinely employ estimates of seismic risk in their operations to determine appropriate insurance rates, to monitor over-accumulation of policies in a small area, and to purchase reinsurance. A simplified method of calculating seismic risk for a given city involves the use of a street survey.

Seismic risk can be reduced by earthquake preparedness and, particularly, by implementation of effective vibration control technologies. Building codes are intended to help to manage seismic risk and are updated as more is learned about the effects of seismic ground motion on buildings.