Research Outputs
Resiliencia comunitaria y sentido de comunidad durante la respuesta y recuperaciĂ³n al terremoto-tsunami del año 2010, Talcahuano-Chile
La investigaciĂ³n, tiene entre sus objetivos, describir cĂ³mo se expresan las capacidades de afrontamiento de la resiliencia comunitaria en relaciĂ³n al sentido de comunidad en trece familias de la comuna de Talcahuano-Chile, durante el periodo de respuesta y recuperaciĂ³n al desastre del terremoto y tsunami del año 2010. Se optĂ³ por un diseño exploratorio cualitativo de carĂ¡cter transversal bajo una lĂ³gica de observaciĂ³n ex-post. A los casos de estudio se les aplica una entrevista semi-estructurada, cuyos discursos son examinados utilizando el AnĂ¡lisis Estructural de Contenido y el Modelo Actancial de la SemĂ¡ntica Estructural. Se concluye que la resiliencia comunitaria es un proceso que emerge en vinculaciĂ³n con el sentido de comunidad, expresado en el compromiso por el bienestar de la comunidad del lugar y en la participaciĂ³n comunitaria en acciones colectivas. Estas son condicionantes sociales que facilitan o limitan la adaptaciĂ³n organizativa de la comunidad y el surgimiento de comportamientos colaborativos, en funciĂ³n de resolver los problemas con mayor rapidez y con el mejor desempeño en el uso de los recursos del territorio.
Damage assessment of the May 31st, 2019, Talcahuano tornado, Chile
On May 31st, 2019, a tornado hit the city of Talcahuano, Chile, generating significant damage to structures and leaving one person dead. The objective of the present paper is to report on damage to structures in Talcahuano. A preliminary survey was performed by the Municipality of Talcahuano and covered the entire affected area with a cellphone web application used to report the severity and distribution of damage. A more comprehensive damage survey was conducted in the Brisa del Sol neighborhood in the Medio Camino area by the UCSC team to assess the damage distribution within an area with well-defined and homogeneous building typologies. The results of the field surveys showed that the tornado behaved as a skipping tornado and that most damage to houses consisted of wall opening damage, roof sheathing failure, and wall cover removal (EF0), followed by partial roof removal(EF1). It was noticeable that self-built systems (house additions) were more damaged than original houses, which may be explained by the fact that such structures do not always meet minimum building standards. It is recommended that field surveys conducted by municipalities and the Ministry of Social Development considertypical damage types rather than just categories such as minor, moderate, or major. Finally, it is recommendedthat the feasibility of implementing mitigation measures such as stricter wind load provisions and dual-objective tornado design philosophy in the Concepci´on-Talcahuano area be analyzed.
Determinant factors in personal decision-making to adopt COVID-19 prevention measures in Chile
The pandemic has challenged countries to develop stringent measures to reduce infections and keep the population healthy. However, the greatest challenge is understanding the process of adopting self-care measures by individuals in different countries. In this research, we sought to understand the behavior of individuals who take self-protective action. We selected the risk homeostasis approach to identify relevant variables associated with the risk of contagion and the Protective Action Decision Model to understand protective decision-making in the pandemic. Subsequently, we conducted an exploratory survey to identify whether the same factors, as indicated in the literature, impact Chile’s adoption of prevention measures. The variables gender, age, and trust in authority behave similarly to those found in the literature. However, socioeconomic level, education, and media do not impact the protection behaviors adopted to avoid contagion. Furthermore, the application of the Protective Action Decision Model is adequate to understand the protective measures in the case of a pandemic. Finally, women have a higher risk perception and adopt more protective measures, and in contrast, young people between 18 and 30 years of age are the least concerned about COVID-19 infection.
Seismic and coastal vulnerability assessment model for buildings in Chile
This article proposes a vulnerability assessment model for evaluating buildings’ expected seismic performance, as well as their vulnerability to tsunamis. The objective of this assessment is to provide appropriate information for decision makers regarding the need of repairs and reinforcement of buildings or other mitigation measures that need to be applied in a territory. A procedure for assessing seismic vulnerability and another methodology for evaluating tsunami vulnerability faced by coastal structures is presented. Finally, a method that integrates both procedures is proposed, providing a combined index of vulnerability. The assessment model was applied to the central area of the city of Talcahuano, Chile, which was affected by the 2010 Maule earthquake and tsunami.
Aprendizaje servicio aplicado a la gestiĂ³n de desastres en establecimientos educacionales municipales
Este trabajo presenta una experiencia de educaciĂ³n en ingenierĂa orientada a la prevenciĂ³n de desastres, a travĂ©s de la revisiĂ³n y adecuaciĂ³n de los planes integrales de seguridad escolar en tres establecimientos educacionales de la comuna de Talcahuano, Chile, a solicitud del Departamento de EducaciĂ³n Municipal. La experiencia se desarrollĂ³ en el contexto del curso Desastres naturales y cultura de la prevenciĂ³n de las carreras de IngenierĂa Civil e IngenierĂa Civil GeolĂ³gica de la Universidad CatĂ³lica de la SantĂsima ConcepciĂ³n, mediante la aplicaciĂ³n de la metodologĂa aprendizaje servicio. El objetivo de la experiencia es que los estudiantes del curso y la comunidad escolar estudiada reconozcan de manera eficaz los riesgos generados por el entorno natural, describan las etapas asociadas a gestiĂ³n de desastres y colaboren en la generaciĂ³n de una cultura de prevenciĂ³n y preparaciĂ³n frente a ellos. Los resultados obtenidos corresponden a la entrega de planes integrales de seguridad escolar adecuados a los establecimientos estudiados con un diagnĂ³stico de vulnerabilidades y mapa s de riesgo. La experiencia de aprendizaje servicio desarrollada muestra el fomento del compromiso social en los estudiantes y la importancia del aprendizaje orientado a resolver necesidades reales, con una visiĂ³n integral en su formaciĂ³n profesional.
The contribution of tsunami evacuation analysis to evacuation planning in Chile: Applying a multi-perspective research design
Research on evacuation behavior in natural disasters provides a valuable contribution in the development of effective short- and long-term strategies in disaster risk management (DRM). Many studies address evacuation simulation utilizing mathematical modeling approaches or GIS-based simulation. In this contribution, we perform a detailed analysis of an entire evacuation process from the decision to evacuate right up to the arrival at a safe zone. We apply a progressive research design in the community of Talcahuano, Chile by means of linking a social science approach, deploying standardized questionnaires for the tsunami affected population, and a GISbased simulation. The questionnaire analyzes evacuation behavior in both an event-based historical scenario and a hypothetical future scenario. Results reveal three critical issues: evacuation time, distance to the evacuation zone, and method of transportation. In particular, the excessive use of cars has resulted in congestion of street sections in past evacuations, and will most probably also pose a problem in a future evacuation event. As evacuation by foot is generally recommended by DRM, the results are extended by a GIS-based modelling simulating evacuation by foot. Combining the findings of both approaches allows for added value, providing more comprehensive insights into evacuation planning. Future research may take advantage of this multiperspective research design, and integrate social science findings in a more detailed manner. Making use of invaluable local knowledge and past experience of the affected population in evacuation planning is likely to help decrease the magnitude of a disaster, and, ultimately, save lives.
Propuesta metodolĂ³gica para implementar la primera fase del modelo de gestiĂ³n del cambio organizacional de Lewin
Este trabajo propone una metodologĂa para implementar la primera fase del modelo de gestiĂ³n del cambio organizacional de Lewin, denominada descongelamiento. Inicialmente, las tipologĂas individuales y organizaciones presentes en la compañĂa son determinadas a travĂ©s de una encuesta a los colaboradores. Posteriormente, se aplica el mĂ©todo multicriterio Elimination et Choix Traduisant la RĂ©alitĂ© (ELECTRE) para identificar el conjunto de factores mĂnimos a modificar para implantar en forma exitosa un proyecto de cambio. Esta propuesta permite focalizar los esfuerzos de los gestores de cambio, haciĂ©ndolos mĂ¡s efectivos para desarrollar planes de acciĂ³n para el descongelamiento de prejuicios. Las tipologĂas prioritarias determinadas para el caso de anĂ¡lisis son el ignorante y el desganado para la dimensiĂ³n individual, y las clases estĂ¡tica y rutinaria para la dimensiĂ³n organizacional.