Seismic Vulnerability Assessment in Chittagong City Corporation Area : Lifeline (Electrical Distribution Line)

According to Global Hazard Assessment Program (GSHAP), the Chittagong division's hill tracts area has the highest hazard. In Chittagong division the maximum peak ground acceleration (PGA) would be 0.24g-0.4g in the northern and southern section. But Bangladesh National Building Code-1993 is specified a maximum PGA of 0.15g for Chittagong and its surrounding area which has been found equivalent to be around 7.5 magnitude. In Chittagong City Corporation area approximately 642.5 km long electrical distribution line is divided into 116 sub-lines called Feeder line which are controlled by 14 substations. This distribution line contain 2,093 transformers and approximately 26,258 P.C.poles to supply electricity of capacity of 5,59,575 kVA to 4,76,956 consumers. This study aimed at developing a model to evaluate seismic vulnerability of electrical distribution line of Chittagong City Corporation area, considering physical, functional, and organizational factors as all are deeply interconnected one to the other. The resulting assessment tool consists of a set of parameters measuring the response capacity of electrical distribution line exposed to earthquakes.