REGION SPECIFIC APPLICATION OF NEO-DETERMINISTIC ANALYSIS FOR RELIABLE SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT Kristina MILKOVA 1 , Elena DUMOVA-JOVANOSKA 2 , Katerina DROGRESHKA 3 , Dragana CHERNIH-ANASTASOVSKA 4 , Lazo PEKEVSKI 5 , Fabio ROMANELLI 6 , Franco VACCARI 7 , Giuliano F. PANZA 8 ABSTRACT The reliable seismic hazard assessment (SHA) for any selected region is a crucial requirement for performing the seismic risk analysis of a given characteristic building class. In this context, seismic hazard determination is part of an ongoing project named “Seismic vulnerability assessment of existing masonry structures in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (SeismoWall)”. The research activities are focused on comprehensive nonlinear analysis and seismic vulnerability curves determination of the selected archetypes of masonry buildings, located in various parts in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. An innovative scenario-based neo-deterministic approach (NDSHA), based on the joint exploitation of existing geological, seismotectonic and geotechnical databases pertinent to the selected region is used. In the definition of scenario earthquakes, the available seismic data, based on the information from the network of six active permanent seismological stations located in various parts of the country, as well as information for the geological active faults in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are used. The final goal is the compilation of reliable hazard maps at regional scale, for the complete territory of former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, based on the computation of realistic synthetic seismograms. Any relevant information that can serve in future nonlinear analysis for seismic risk assessment of the buildings, selected as archetypes within the project, can be extracted from the generated ground motion database. Keywords: Seismic hazard; Neo-deterministic seismic hazard assessment; Hazard maps; Maximum Credible Seismic Input 1. INTRODUCTION Seismic risk mitigation procedure is conceivable only by having the complete information about seismic hazard of the region and vulnerability of the structures. In this context and having in mind the significant number of old masonry buildings in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia currently serving as public institutions (schools, administration offices, courts, museums, theaters, etc.), the need of seismic risk evaluation of these existing structures is of a high priority. Moreover, some of the buildings are older than a century, and the structural health condition for the majority of them has 1 PhD Student, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, milkova@gf.ukim.edu.mk 2 Professor, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, dumova@gf.ukim.edu.mk 3 Phd Student, Seismological Observatory, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” , Skopje, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, katerinadrogreska@yahoo.com 4 Professor, Seismological Observatory, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, dcernih@yahoo.com 5 Professor, Seismological Observatory, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, lazopekevski@yahoo.com 6 Researcher, Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Italy, romanel@units.it 7 Research fellow, Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Italy, vaccari@units.it 8 Olim Professor, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Via della Lungara, 10 – Roma, Italy, giulianofpanza@fastwebnet.it