Earthquakes are natural disasters which threaten lives and cause destruction on a massive level, as we have seen in the past. Safeguarding yourself and your loved ones is a responsibility you have to consider seriously if you want to combat earthquake. As a homeowner building a new home, you can include some safety measures to contruct a sound, earthquake proof home. There are some ways to upgrade the earthquake protection of existing homes too. Take a look at these tips and solutions to get an idea about the ways to make a building earthquake proof:
Dancing bridge to combat earthquake
In near future, don’t rub your eyes in disbelief if you see bridges dancing during earthquakes! It sounds odd indeed but if earthquake engineers at the University at Buffalo and MCEER have their way, it’s going to be a reality.
The engineers claim that the ‘dancing bridges’ are the safest and also the least expensive to build and repair. In fact, they have already tested the first seismic design methodology for bridge towers, which responds to quake by jumping a few inches!
Funded by the U S Federal Highway Administration, the engineers developed a methodology where steel truss towers support the bridge decks, unlike conventional method where the bridge towers are anchored to the footing.
MCEER Director Michel Bruneau admitted it’s a curious methodology. He said:
Our approach is unconventional, counterintuitive. With an earthquake, conventional wisdom dictates that the most important thing is to anchor the bridge tower. The mass wants to overturn, so you have to tie it down.
In this scenario, something usually has to yield. Here, we’re standing that concept on its head. By letting the tower rock, we’re significantly reducing the overturning force and finding a way to combat earthquake.
Engineers gathered at the UB’s Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation Laboratory (SEESL) for the testing where the truss tower leg went a few inches up after a significant ground motion.
They used a device called viscous dampers, which was placed at the tower base, to regulate the uplift of the tower. Both the design and the construction of the ‘dancing bridges’ cost less than the conventional bridges. Let us look at some other interesting methods used to predict earthquakes.
Powerful shock wave-creating earthquakes can move faster than predicted
With natural furies increasingly taking their toll on the planet, the need to better predict the most dangerous earthquake-prone faults and their consequential damages are gaining importance.
Cuing with these concerns, scientists are taking up studies on the ‘nature’ of the killer-earthquakes. Amidst this, a new study has found that earthquakes along the long and straight faults can rupture faster than previously thought! – Thanks to the more powerful computers, higher quality seismograms and new imaging techniques.
It can also trigger powerful shock waves that trigger the destructiveness of the quick-moving quakes. This finding has its significance in predicting the potential risks of a forthcoming earthquake and also a nice way to combat earthquake.
Leading the study, Shamita Das, a seismologist at Oxford University wrote:
According to the study, earthquakes, like roads, slow down during bends or a bump. Taking the California’s San Andreas fault into consideration, it is found that many parts of it run in long, straight lines making it more vulnerable to such quick quakes. This new finding opens up new scopes to identify faults across the world that could fuel these more powerful quakes in the future. Thus, planning earthquake-resistant constructions would be easier across the world.
Earthquake-resistant constructions ideas to combat earthquake
There are new earthquake-resistant structural systems in the market that help to withstand tremors. We all are quite aware of the damage caused by earthquakes. To devise a solution, researchers at Stanford University and the University of Illinois have joined forces in this direction. They have successfully designed a self-righting building that has the capability of rocking during earthquakes and regaining its original form after the tremor. The new earthquake-resistant structural system has the potential to make buildings withstand violent quakes and damages associated with them. It provides means for easier repair, making it possible for people to reoccupy buildings in a lot less time than it would normally take.
13 ways to make a building construction strong enough to combat earthquake
Tying foundation to buildings
One of the ways to make a building earthquake proof is to join the foundation to the building, provided the building sits on firm soil. Earthquakes knock buildings from the foundation. Tying the building to its foundation makes the whole building move as one unit.
Base isolation
Engineers float a building above the foundation on a system of springs, bearings or padded cylinders. Many different bearing pad designs are used, and often, lead-rubber bearings are used, which comprises of a solid, lead core which is wrapped in layers of steel and rubber. The lead which is at the core make the bearing strong as well as stiff vertically, and the steel and rubber band placed alternatively within, make the structure flexible horizontally.
Building features such as bearings are attached to building and the foundation with steel plates and when the earthquake hits, they allow the foundation only to move without the structure moving. The building’s horizontal movement is much reduced too, and the structure suffers much less change and deformation.
Damping systems
One of the ways to make a building earthquake proof is by the installation of damping systems. These systems are being used increasingly these days to build earthquake-resistant structures. Active Mass Damping is a method in which a very heavy mass is mounted on to building’s top, and connected to the viscous dampers which acts like shock absorbers.
When an earthquake strikes, the building oscillates and the mass on top moves in opposite directtion, which results in the reduction of the amplitude of the mechanical vibrations. You can use small damping systems in the brace system of a building.
Lateral strength
Building safety professionals suggest that buildings should be constructed taking into consideration the horizontal movement of the building during earthquakes. The buildings shift right and left during the quake, and if they are not built correctly, they might destabilize.
Regularity
This is the characteristic which refers to the building’s movement when pushed laterally. One of the ways to make a building earthquake proof is to construct buildings in a manner which is equal on both sides, so that the energy can be dissipated equally. If the building features have irregularity, then the weaknesses will be apparent when the building sways, and compromising the whole structure.
Foundations
Stable foundations can protect buildings during major earthquakes. Builders have to observe the unique needs for foundation which define how the base has to be reinforced. Deep foundations as well as driven piles form sound foundations and are another of the important ways to make a building earthquake proof.
Continuous Load-path
The structural plus the non-structural components have to be connected, so that the inertial forces produced due to earthquake share the load/force of the earthquake, thus saving the building. The continuous load-path is perhaps the most important aspect of a building which you have to ensure that your builder has included in the plans.
Using construction materials which are earthquake resistant
The materials used to construct buildings also matter in its earthquake protection. Though bricks and concrete are used often, but they not have much ductility. The ductility references to the property of a material to experience large deformations.
One of the best earthquake resistant buildings materials is steel-reinforced concrete, as the steel embedded increases ductility. The best shape can be constructed out of structural steel, such as angles, beams and plates, so that the buildings can bend considerably without breaking.
Tips for making your home earthquake proof and to combat earthquake
Get a home inspection done
One of the ways to make a building earthquake proof is to get a home inspection done. You can hire an engineer to make an inspection of the building and he will identify the weaknesses/faults in the buildings. The engineer would also provide the solutions to rectify the faults in your home.
Use plywood to brace cripple wood
The cripple walls are the stud walls made of wood on the foundation’s exterior. The walls carry the house’s weight on top, and act as the shock absorbers during earthquake. Bracing cripple walls with plywood provides much greater resistance to quakes, and prevents the house from swaying as well as saving it from collapsing.
Keep the foundation dry
The base of your home gets affected by water and soil conditions. So as a homeowner, you should keep the foundation moisture free. The roof gutters should be kept neatly, and the rainwater should run into the drains and not into the soil under your home.
Use flexible utilities
The earthquake resistant buildings materials such as flexible pipes should be used, as these will not rupture during the quake. Pipes for water and gas should be flexible, and remove flammable liquids from your garage.
Tallest quakeproof buildings in the world
Transamerica Pyramid
This is San Francisco’s tallest skyscraper at 835 feet. The concrete foundation moves with the vibrations of earthquake and the rectangular building frame areas give the building more support.
Burj Khalifa
At 2, 722 feet, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and has advanced engineering design to protect against earthquakes.
Taipei 101
The Taipei 101 in China is 1,667 feet tall. The structure has a tuned mass damper, which behaves like a pendulum, dissipating the natural energy of a quake or typhoon.
Earthquake proof designs, made using quakeproof materials to construct earthquake proof buildings is a good investment to ensure the safety of human life and safeguarding property.