Conclusions

The complete reconstruction of a city is very costly, and the consequences of its destruction by an earthquake are inestimable, not only in terms of loss of life, but also in terms of the destruction of monuments, which erases the memory of the place. For several years now, public authorities have been anticipating such destruction by voluntarily reinforcing existing buildings, as in Guadeloupe and Martinique. This trend also exists in Italy and in states such as California, where the US federal government even subsidizes the seismic reinforcement of private buildings.

Each time seismic activity picks up, the number of buildings requiring reinforcement increases. What's more, standards evolve in their requirements each time zoning is adapted to the latest seismic events, regularly increasing the number of buildings requiring upgrading.

On...