MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for CivilProtection and Disaster Relief
Date: 15 February 2008
Anton Melik Geographical Institute SRC SASA
Novi trg 2
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
SUBJECT: LETTER OF INTENT
Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief of the Republic of Slovenia is interested in cooperation in coordinated action whose main objective is bringing together people and existing knowledge.
We are willing to participate as a stakeholder in CapHaz-Net: Social Capacity Building for Natural Hazards.
Sincerely yours,
Bojan ŽMAVCDIRECTOR GENERAL
STEP - EXERCISE BOVEC
Date: 26. 09. 2008
REPORT
ON INTERNATIONAL TRAINING FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS, CARRIED OUT IN SLOVENIA BETWEEN 24 AND 27 SEPTEMBER
1. INTRODUCTION
Practical training of experts from 12 countries and the EU Centre in Pavia, Italy, for the assessment of damage to buildings, was carried out in the framework of the STEP project. The training was organised by the Italian Civil Protection, in cooperation with the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, the Seismology and Geology Office, the Municipality of Bovec, the Technical Office in Bovec, as well as a number of individuals from various institutions. The training took place at the Training Centre for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief of the Republic of Slovenia, whereas the practical part was carried out in the village Čezsoča, Slovenia.
The training schedule is detailed in Annex 1.
The report addresses:
-Characteristics of the earthquake.
-Consequences of the earthquake.
-An assessment of the facilities.
-An analysis.
-Conclusions reached.
The assessment was carried out on buildings which were damaged during the last earthquake in Slovenia in 2004. The report covers the results obtained by committees which assessed usability of the buildings.
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARTHQUAKE THAT DAMAGED THE ASSESSED FACILITIES
In 2004, Slovenia was hit by a strong earthquake. According to the national network of earthquake observation stations of the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, the Seismology Office, the focus of the earthquake was about 4 kilometres north of Kobarid, more than 10 kilometres below the surface. The preliminary magnitude was 4.9. According to the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS), the intensity (effects) of the earthquake in the wider epicentre area was between levels VI and VII. The focus of the earthquake formed along the same fault structures as that of the earthquake from 12 April 1998 (the magnitude was 5.6, and its intensity reached between levels VI and VII on the EMS). However, measured by the energy released from the focus, the 2004 earthquake was substantially weaker.
The figure below shows the epicentre of the 1998 earthquake (the large star), as well as the epicentre (the small star) and the aftershocks of the 2004 earthquake. The size of the circles corresponds to the magnitude, and the colour to the depth.
Reference: The Seismology Office, the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia.,
The Municipality of Bovec assessed that a number of older buildings, which had not yet been restored, were demolished. A large number of buildings were demolished, among other- places, in the old part of Bovec and in the village Čezsoča (destroyed and knocked down chimneys, fallen roofing materials, cracked or more severely damaged walls, and the like).
3. THE REACTION OF COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND RESCUE SERVICES (fictional)
Immediately after the earthquake, commanders and Civil Protection headquarters in the Municipality of Bovec activated fire-fighting units and Civil Protection members, as well as mountain rescue services. The Civil Protection commander and the Civil Protection headquarters of the Republic of Slovenia were alerted and activated.
Information on the earthquake was (fictionally) submitted to the Monitoring and Information Centre of the European Commission (MIC), the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC NATO), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), and representatives of Civil Protection authorities from Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, UK, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.
MIC was asked for help to provide experts for assessing the usability of buildings. 35 experts from 12 countries and 16 experts from the EU Centre in Pavia, Italy, 3 experts from the Germany FIT Centre and 7 experts from Friully-Venece-Jully Provece went to Bovec.
4. ASSESSMENT OF BUILDINGS
On 24 and 25 April 2008, the EU Centre representatives went to the field and assessed 6 buildings: Čezsoča 48, 76, 94, 100, the church, and Čezsoča 113. The EU Centre experts are listed in Annex 2.
Damage assessment committees started work on 26 September 2008. After the committee leaders examined the forms used in the Coordination Centre in Čezsoča, the committees started the field work. Before their departure, the experts were formed into groups. The schedule for the inspection of individual buildings, as well as the necessary material (orthophotographs, location map, inspections schedule, questionnaire, and assessment criteria) was prepared. The following buildings were assessed: Čezsoča 48, 54, 76, 81, 89, 90, 94, 100, the church, and Čezsoča 116 and 127.
The criteria are detailed in Annex 3.
Orthophotograph of the inspected area is found in Annex 4.
The inspections schedule is detailed in Annex 5.
35 experts made field inspections of 11 buildings.
The experts are listed in Annex 6.
The questionnaire is found in Annex 7.
5. ANALYSIS
The assessment results are set out in Annex 8.
6. FINDINGS
According to our assessment, the training was very successful.
We examined the protocol of notification between the Notification Centre of the Republic of Slovenia and the Centre in Palmanova.
We learned about the procedure for obtaining experts via MIC.
We examined the methodology for the damage assessment of buildings, prepared in the framework of the STEP project.
We examined the questionnaire on the damage assessment of buildings.
We examined the functioning of the EU Centre mobile vehicle.
We examined the video transmission from the field to IG and to Palmanova.
We examined the effectiveness of work done in the international expert groups.
The report was prepared by:
Milica Slokar
Agostino Goretti
EU Centre
The annexes were provided during the exercise.
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