Natural Hazards and Disaster Management
This unit covers the fundamental concepts of natural hazards and disaster management,
including:
-Key Concepts and Definitions*: Understanding what constitutes a disaster, hazard,
vulnerability, risk, and capacity. It also examines the relationship between disasters and
development.
-Types of Natural Calamities*: Studying the causes and effects of various natural disasters such
as floods, tropical cyclones, landslides, heat waves, and tsunamis.
-Disaster Management Cycle*: Exploring the cycle of disaster management, which includes
preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.
-Institutional and Financial Mechanisms*: Learning about national policies on disaster
management and the roles of various institutions.
-Role of Government and Agencies*: Analyzing the roles of local, state, and national
governments, as well as non-governmental and inter-governmental agencies in disaster
management.
Elementary Seismology
This unit provides an introduction to seismology and the science behind earthquakes:
-Historic Earthquakes*: Studying significant earthquakes in world history and understanding
earthquake-prone areas in India.
-Causes of Earthquakes*: Learning about the Elastic Rebound Theory, continental drift, plate
tectonics, and the types of plate boundaries and faults that contribute to earthquakes.
-Seismic Waves*: Classifying body waves (primary and secondary) and surface waves, as well
as understanding concepts like magnitude, intensity, and energy release.
-Seismological Instruments*: Introduction to instruments such as seismographs and
accelerographs that measure seismic activity.
-Seismic Zoning*: Understanding the need for seismic zonation, types of zonation, and seismic
zonation scales to classify different regions based on earthquake risk.
Lessons Learned from Past Earthquakes & Seismic Design Principles
This unit focuses on the insights gained from past earthquakes and the design principles for
seismic safety:
-Earthquake Effects*: Studying how earthquakes impact the ground, soil, and structures,
including effects like liquefaction and landslides.
-Building Behavior*: Examining how different types of buildings, lifelines, and non-structural
elements (like fixtures and services) behave during earthquakes.
-Social and Economic Consequences*: Understanding the broader impacts of earthquakes on
communities and economies.
-Seismic Design Concepts*: Learning about critical concepts such as stiffness, strength,
ductility, damping, energy dissipation, and structural irregularities (plan and vertical).
-Ductility-Based Design*: Focusing on designing structures to absorb and dissipate energy,
using techniques like base isolation and active control to enhance earthquake resistance.
Earthquake-Resistant Construction Details
This unit covers construction practices and techniques to build earthquake-resistant
structures:
-Foundation Types and Stabilization*: Exploring various types of foundations and soil
stabilization techniques to enhance structural stability.
-Structural Components*: Understanding how elements like plinth fills, floors, walls, and
openings contribute to earthquake resilience.
-Local Practices*: Reviewing traditional construction techniques and regional practices that
naturally provide resistance against seismic forces.
Case Studies and Design Guidelines
This unit includes practical case studies and design guidelines for constructing disaster-
resistant structures:
-Significant Disasters*: Studying examples of past earthquakes (e.g., Bhuj, Latur), cyclones
(e.g., in Andhra Pradesh), landslides, floods, and droughts across various regions like Tamil
Nadu and Rajasthan.
-Design Guidelines*: Creating disaster-resistant architectural, landscape, and planning
solutions for specific disaster types, focusing on engineering and planning for floods, cyclones,
and tsunamis.
- Practical Applications*: Applying the guidelines to design structures capable of withstanding
natural disasters, thus reducing the risk to life and property.
Each unit provides a comprehensive understanding of natural disaster risks, seismology, and
design principles for resilient structures, equipping students to manage and mitigate the
impacts of natural hazards effectively.
