Good afternoon,

With regards to principles I would suggest that you look into the case studies of history of post-earthquake reconstruction and earthquake mitigation efforts. For example, after the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, the Prime Minister, Marquis de Plombal re-planned the city center introducing regular grid pattern and street profile. This was accompanied with a development of new construction technology - the Plombaline Cage using a diagonally braced timber frame construction. It is said that the army units were ordered to march around the sample building frame to test the behavior of the new construction. Probably an early example of 'shaking table' test? After the 1963 Skopje Earthquake the urban area was enlarged in order to reduced the urban density. This was combined with regulations leading of replacement of load-bearing masonry construction with reinforced concrete frame. Also research was carried out to understand the geometry of building collapses to help establish recommendations for defining street profiles that would allow for safe egress, access and relief after earthquakes. Also methods were developed to strengthening historic building by replacing degraded historic timber belts with steel reinforced lime mortar band. I think that there used to be a system in the UK whereby short steel tubes are inserted into the historic building fabric in combination with metal joints to ultimately insert a steel cage within the existing construction. An inexpensive way to deal with the earthquake risk is to understand that level of risk of a particular building in conjunction with understanding of the acceptable level of risk to life and injury from the building partial or complete collapse. Then the risk can be mitigated by limiting the building occupancy at all times, etc.

With Best Wishes