Abstract:
Pakistan is the 6th largest country by population and almost half of the population lives in earthquake prone areas. The country has experienced disastrous earthquakes including the 2005 Kashmir earthquake (7.6 magnitude), it is therefore imperative to perform an assessment of the hazards associated with the earthquakes. Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, lies in the vicinity of the Margalla Hills. Incidentally, The Main Boundary Thrust also referred to as MBT, passes through these hills. Other faults that pose a danger to Islamabad are Jhelum fault, Murree fault, Hazara fault, Panjal fault and the Margalla fault. According to the study of Bhittai et al. (2011), the entire Islamabad region is prone to earthquakes rather than just a few sectors near the Margalla Hills. Islamabad being the capital city with foreign offices, high-level executive buildings and tall towers needs to be ready for any imminent seismic threat. According to Sajjad Ahmad (2009), the local site effects present a more serious threat to the Rawalpindi area; a major population center with a myriad of old buildings. A seismic hazard analysis of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has therefore been carried out through DSHA and PSHA in order to produce new parameters for the earthquake engineers and authorities like CDA in a bid to prevent and mitigate damage in the twin cities by using IBC and ASCE 7-10. Furthermore, we have formulated Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets for quick site specific analysis in the region.
