Arturo E. Schultz
Arturo E. Schultz, Prof., Dept. of Civil, Envir., and Geo- Engrg., Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA, 55455, schul088@umn.edu
ABSTRACT
On 16 April 2016, a magnitude (Mw) 7.8 earthquake struck coastal Ecuador and generated over 100 aftershocks (Mw ≥ 6). The epicenter of the main shock was approximately 29 km southsoutheast of Muisne, and had intensities of VIII and IX over a large affected region in the provinces of Esmeraldas and Manabí. More than 10,500 buildings were damaged or collapsed in urban areas, and more 8,100 in rural areas. The affected buildings were primarily concentrated in the municipalities of Bahía de Caráquez, Calceta, Canoa, Chone, Manta, Muisne, Pedernales, and Portoviejo. This paper documents observations made by the author as part of a reconnaissance team that visited the affected sites. Most of the buildings observed were reinforced concrete frames with unreinforced masonry infill and partitions. Extensive nonstructural damage was observed in the masonry of both engineered and non-engineered buildings, and structural damage was also common in the RC frames. Observations on the damage patterns are presented, as well as trends associated with the URM panels.
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