Seismic Microzonation of the Himalayan Region Considering Site Characterization: Application toward Seismic Risk Assessment for Sustainable Tunneling Projects

Infrastructure projects require billions of dollars, but they are destroyed in seconds due to strong ground motions during earthquakes. The disaster mitigation cell of any nation seeks sustainable and resilient infrastructure schemes to reduce the catastrophic effects of any seismic hazard. This study attempted to carry out detailed seismic microzonation of the Jammu Region (JR), which is located in the northwestern part of the Himalayas. To accomplish this, seismic hazard analysis was carried out with a primary focus on site characterization using geophysical field testing. For the proposed seismic zones, the performance and vulnerability of tunnels were evaluated in various seismic environments. Further, the seismic risk of the 345-km-long Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project was assessed for serviceability in post-seismic conditions. The proposed zonation, risk matrices, and route maps will be useful for auditioning existing and proposed tunneling projects in this area. This will pave the way for earthquake-resistant design of sustainable infrastructure projects in seismically active areas like the Himalayas.