Article By: Reylord Ayop
One common and devastating type of natural force is earthquakes. People have been building structures that can withstand them for years, ensuring that these new structures do not succumb to natural disasters. Many designs sustain damage from earthquakes, regardless of frequency, because they are not ready for it. If you are planning to build or start a construction project, making sure that it is earthquake-proof will save you from many future headaches and expenses. Here are some notes you should keep in mind when it comes to ensuring your building has a chance against earthquakes: Article By: Reylord Ayop
How Do Earthquakes Damage Buildings?
If you want to ensure that your commercial building can withstand earthquakes, it is best to start and understand how these natural forces affect a structure. During an earthquake, the ground will send out shockwaves that are usually short and rapid. These shockwaves will extend in every direction, involving a particular area, and can even send some to a place farther away.
Buildings have always been built to withstand and handle vertical forces, like gravity, but not all can withstand side-to-side forces. Earthquakes can create movement in your walls, floors, columns, beams, and connectors. This movement can cause extreme stress on the structure of your building and can even cause the frame to rupture.
Tips on Earthquake-proofing Your Building
Now that you understand how earthquakes affect your building, it is time to learn how to counter it. When creating an earthquake-proof building, you should hire engineers to reinforce the structure to counter the shake. One common strategy is to create a force that pushes in the opposite direction of the earthquake. Here are a few known methods to help a building withstand earthquakes:
Tip #1: Flexible Foundation
A method that works is known as base isolation. It is when the foundation of the building is above the ground. The foundation traditionally connects to the ground, but with base isolation, there are flexible pads beneath it that help creates a soft and supple environment for your foundation. These pads take most of the vibration from the quake, and your building will remain steady.
Tip #2: Damping Counters
You might have heard of shock absorbers in cars. There are also versions of these shock absorbers that you can place in buildings. These shock absorbers will help reduce the number of shockwaves the commercial building will take. There are two types of shock absorbers for buildings: vibrational control devices and pendulum power.
Tip #3: Vibrational Shields
With the progression of technology, experts have been developing additional ways to counteract these forces. Also known as the 'seismic invisibility cloak,' it involves creating a cloak of 100 concentric plastic and concrete rings. This cloak is beneath the foundation, at least 3-feet under from where the foundation starts. As an earthquake happens and enters these rings, it travels until it reaches the outer rings, essentially channeling the vibrations away from the building and into the ground.
Tip #4: Reinforcement
For your building to avoid collapsing, your structural building must redistribute its forces. Some ways to prevent a collapse include shear walls, diaphragms, moment-resisting frames, and cross braces. Know more about these reinforcing methods below:
Shear walls: Shear walls are multiple panels that are a part of the overall structure of the building that helps with stability. Cross braces support these panels to ensure that they can support both compression and tension during an earthquake.
Diaphragms: A central part of any building's structure. They help remove tension from the floor and help guide the building's forces through the vertical systems.
Moment-resisting frames: They provide flexibility for your building. You can find them in joints, allowing your building's columns and beams to bend. Placing these frames makes your commercial building additional resistant to larger forces.
Materials That You Can Use
Now that you know how to resist these forces of nature, you should learn about materials that help. Using these materials in your commercial or residential building will help improve overall stability.
Steel and Wood
Steel and wood are among the most common building materials today, and they can resist shock with high ductility. Modern buildings come with structural steel, which allows structures to bend and follow a specific design without breaking. Wood is not only very ductile but also very lightweight, making it a suitable material to use in buildings. You can also consider placing heavy-duty wall access doors in your building, as they can help create a more stable and durable space.
As the world progresses and innovations are in the process of combatting the damage that earthquakes tend to leave in their wake, more and more materials and strategies surface in building construction. It is good to get updates on these innovations, especially in the construction industry, as it can help you create more sustainable and durable building designs.
