It is essential that buildings are designed to resist the powerful forces generated by seismic movements. The most durable materials, like steel, are popular, as they allow buildings to bend and not break.
Innovative techniques including shear walls, cross braces and diaphragms redistribute the forces that travel through a building during shaking. Other technology such as frames that resist momentary forces allow beams and columns of varying lengths to stretch and yet their joints stay solid, giving them the flexibility needed to absorb energy from seismic shaking.
Improving Structural Integrity and Strength in Seismic Zones
In the construction of structures within seismic zones, flexibility is a key consideration. Concrete, steel and wood all have greater flexibility than brick or unreinforced masonry walls that tend to fail under stress and therefore aren’t suitable to be used in earthquake-resistant buildings. Roof structures that are lightweight can decrease the pressure to a structure during an earthquake.
Earthquake-proof buildings may be strengthened using various design techniques and new material. For instance, cross bracing transmits seismic waves to the ground rather than permitting them to strike and shake walls or floors. To shield a structure against vibrational force, damping systems and energy dissipation are placed between the foundation of a building and the soil.
Scientists are currently working on novel varieties of material that will further enhance seismic resistance in structures, such as the shape memory alloys of metal which retain their shape during stress and carbon fiber wraps that strengthen structural elements. In the University of British Columbia has made a cementitious fiber-reinforced composite that will improve bricks and concrete by placing a thin layer of the substance.
Material Common for Buildings Resistant to Earthquakes
Architectural and engineering professionals recommend using products for construction which are earthquake-proof when building in seismic areas. It is possible to retrofit older buildings or build new ones by using design and materials that are seismically resistant.
Most commonly, it is recommended to build with concrete and steel. The ductility of these materials allows them to bend and absorb the impact caused by an earthquake, instead of letting it damage the structure, and potentially crushing the people inside.
Others materials, such as wood or foam could give a structure seismic resistance. These types of materials can be used to create a “base separation” structure, allowing the building to move and not the stress placed on its base. Shear walls, crossbraces and diaphragms can be used for enhancing seismic resistance and da hoc. They are used to distribute force caused by vibrations within the structure of the building.
Strategies for Seismic Resilience in Construction
Engineers also use other methods to create seismic-resistant houses and buildings. Diaphragms are utilized on the roofs and floors for the purpose of distributing forces that are lateral. They are used to help absorb seismic energy.
Another recommendation is to build structures that have ductile components capable of enduring plastic deformations with no structural damage during earthquakes. These parts are typically made of steel and can absorb the energy of seismic waves.
Engineers are also testing eco-friendly building materials, such as the sticky yet rigid bamboo fibers and the mussel and 3D printed shapes that can combine and offer a flexible design for earthquake-resistant structures. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have come up with a fibre reinforced concrete known as eco-friendly ductile cementitious compound (EDCC) and it’s more malleable and ductile compared to conventional reinforced concrete. It can alter its shape when stressed, making it perfect for building seismically resistant flooring, walls and ceilings.
Seismic Resistance Building Materials are important
Earthquakes are a major risk for residents living in seismically prone areas. However, structures can be constructed to be stronger and protected from this catastrophe. Numerous methods of earthquake-proofing structures involve the reduction or redirection of the seismic force. For example, a ductile-cementitious composite could be utilized for strengthening concrete and even increase the resistance of bricks to stresses on the horizontal.
Another approach is to employ walls that shear to help transfer vibration and cross braces to stop side forces, and then to design floors like diaphragms that are able to absorb and transfer energy into solid vertical elements. Moment-resisting frames is another important part for strengthening the structure to ensure that it will not fall during a seismic event.
The conventional wisdom previously that the bigger the structure, the better it would withstand an earthquake however, modern construction techniques have proven this to be not valid. Materials that are lighter, like steel can stand up to more than bricks or concrete. Additionally, they are more malleable and can change their shape when an earthquake occurs.