Field reconnaissance on seismic performance of buildings after the ML 7.2 earthquake of April 3, 2024 in Hualien, Taiwan
Journal
Journal of Building Engineering
Journal Volume
110
Start Page
113076
ISSN
2352-7102
Date Issued
2025-09-15
Author(s)
Chuang, Ming-Chieh
Tapia-Hernandez, Edgar
Chi, Kai-Ning
Lin, Huang-Zuo
Lin, Jui-Liang
Guerrero, Hector
Ma, Chung-Chun
Abstract
An earthquake with an epicenter at Shoufeng Township, Hualien County in eastern Taiwan occurred in the morning on April 3, 2024. The Richter magnitude (ML) of the earthquake was 7.2, and the seismic intensity reached level 6+, the second highest on Taiwan's intensity scale. This event stands as the strongest earthquake in Taiwan since the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake (ML 7.3). It was accompanied by four aftershocks exceeding ML 6.0 in April. The earthquake resulted in at least 19 fatalities and over 1100 injuries. The main earthquake caused major damage in Hualien County, including the collapse of two buildings and severe damage to several others. This paper presents and discusses the damaged and undamaged buildings, observed during the post-earthquake inspection. The undamaged buildings include five buildings retrofitted before the earthquake event and two base-isolated buildings. Moreover, to explore the reasons why the seismic loss from the earthquake event is significantly minor in comparison with that from the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, the measures taken in Taiwan for seismic preparedness during the 25 years following the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake are addressed. The aim of the paper is to share the knowledge gained and highlight relevant aspects that could enhance the performance of buildings under future seismic events.
Subjects
0403 Hualien earthquake
Collapsed building
Corner building
Field inspection
Non-structural component
Retrofitted building
Seismic reconnaissance
Structural damage
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Type
journal article