Technique for Earthquake Resistant Structures

Technique for Earthquake Resistant Structures

By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Bangalore : Earthquake produces some kind of shock wave which causes extreme damage to structures. Some of the shock waves will travel horizontally, vertically and others in a circular pattern. Due to this shock, the concrete foundation of a house tends to move. If the above fragment of the building is not firmly secured to the base portion, the total structure may collapse, in part and break away.

To minimize the damage to the structure and to build the withstand capability, after numerous discourses architects concluded to opt building technology which ensures sound structure and argues Earthquake resistance.

Basically, buildings are constructed to sustain a vertical load in order to facilitate the roof, walls and all the stuff installed in the building. Earthquakes may present force/load to the building structure from sideways, lateral or any other, it is a bit convoluted to account. The best way to make the simple structure in to sound structure with more resistant is to lock the floor, roof, foundation and walls into a rigid box/frame to hold together while shaking during earthquake.

In earthquake point of view, the most dangerous construction is unreinforced concrete or brick block. In this kind of structures the walls, which are stacked with bricks are laid for support and the roof is laid athwart the top. It implies the walls on the foundation will be bearing the weight of the roof. Suppose if this type of buildings is subjected to a lateral shake/force through earthquake, then the walls tilt crumble and the roof fell down causing sound damage.

When constructing earthquake resistant building, the first consideration is to make the highest roof, bit as light as possible. This is possible through profiled steel casing on light gauge steel Zed purlins. This also includes twofold skin with spacers and insulation with a roof slant of 3 to 15 degrees.  Suppose, if you required a flat concrete roof, the best strategy is to have steel joists at around 2m, 6”centres, and over these to have composite style roof decking. Then an RC slab can be spilled over the roof, with no propping; the slab will only be maxim 110mm, 4 1/2", and will weigh just around 180 kg/sq mt. Such a slab will be absolutely reinforced to the frame and will not be able to collapse or slip off.

Building Technique for earth quake resistance building:

If the building need to be earthquake resistance, then built resistant to sideways loads. Suppose if the weight is higher up then the roof should be of light weight, if the floors, walls, are lighter it will be better. If the sideways resistance is picked up from the walls, then the walls ought to be strong enough to take the loads and it ought to go just as in both directions. This should be locked into any framing to be resistant in weaker conditions.

One of the advisors said “before building the wall if you soak the brick, it doubles the effectiveness of the wall; this is predominantly appropriate in areas with hot climate where the water evaporates quickly”.

If the structure/house is normal building with first carpet level, then the resistance comes from frames, if the building is more than two or three stories special care should be taken to ensure its earthquake resistance.

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