3rd Croatian Conference on Earthquake Engineering 3CroCEE

In recent years, advancements in employee safety protocols within production facilities have been steadily progressing. However, seismic events pose significant risks to production facilities, potentially disrupting operations, causing structural damage, and endangering the safety of employes. Such a scenario occurred in January 2022, when the Florina earthquake (M5.3) struck an industrial facility in the Bitola region, North Macedonia, triggering both panic behavior and minor, non-structural damages. Although post-event inspections identified only damage in infill walls, the incident highlighted the facility's vulnerability and emphasized the urgent need for a more robust warning system. To mitigate these risks, the installation of an early seismic alert system was become a critical safety measure.
This paper explores the implementation of such a system in an industrial production facility, focusing on the integration of seismic sensors, real-time data processing, and automated alerting. The proposed system aims to provide early detection of seismic activity, facilitating the immediate evacuation of employes, shutdown of critical operations and structural health monitoring. The initial phase involved determining the optimal placement of sensors through comprehensive noise, vibration, and microtremor measurements. Subsequently, two seismic trigger threshold sets were calibrated based on the region's specific seismic hazards and the structural vulnerability. The final system design incorporated an automated earthquake alert that was fully integrated with the facility's existing alarm system. Key components of the system include a seismic sensor, real-time monitoring software, and a LAN-controlled relay that enables the alert to be trigger across various spots within the plant. The system also supports various notification channels such as email, SMS, client monitoring and relay control, ensuring a rapid and coordinated response to seismic events.
This paper is outlining the technical specifications of the alert system, the anticipated benefits in terms of safety and operational efficiency, and its deployment in a high-risk seismic zone.