Seismic risk The concepts of earthquake preparedness can help plan for emergencies arising from an earthquake. 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. This type of active improvement of mitigation of damage from earthquakes is known as seismic retrofit. However, the changes generally do not immediately improve seismic risk in a community since existing buildings are rarely required to be upgraded to meet the revisions. Seismic risk Seismic risk refers to the risk of damage from earthquake to a building, system, or other
Seismic risk condition. Acquiring and analyzing the specific data for an individual building or facility is one of the most expensive and daunting aspects of seismic risk estimation. Progress is made if one can calculate the 'fragility' or seismic capacity of the components within a structure. In 1999, ASTM produced guidelines for reporting seismic loss estimates on commercial properties, commonly known as Probable Maximum Loss or PML reviews. These guidelines specify the scope of work, qualifications of the reviewer, and proper nomenclature for reporting loss estimates. Seismic risk can be reduced by active programs that improve emergency response, and improve basic infrastructure.