Whether buildings are resilient or not, depends on the materials they are made of. If the materials fail during design-level hazard events, functionalities like communications, water and electricity will be compromised.
Mud and gravel homes are often blamed for many earthquake losses due to their rigid construction that lacks the capacity to absorb strong ground-shaking forces. New construction techniques are aiming to reduce these losses by building sturdier, more flexible structures.
Steel
There’s an element found in pots and pans, in the vehicles we drive and the bridges we cross, and it’s also found in buildings – the structural frames that keep them standing during an earthquake. This vital material is none other than steel.
Steel has many properties that make it ideal for building in seismic zones. It has high ductility, meaning that it can bend and dissipate the energy of an earthquake without structural failure. It is also relatively light, which reduces the forces it must withstand.
In addition to its strength, steel is a very durable material that resists the effects of time and the elements, such as fire and weather. It’s also much cheaper than iron to produce, which has a positive impact on overall construction costs.
Steel can be added to a building’s frame in several ways that make it more resistant to an earthquake, such as by adding cross braces to the exterior of the structure. These are usually framed in an x-shape and are designed to transfer the force of seismic waves from the ground directly to the building, rather than letting it take the brunt of the impact. Buildings can also be built on a base of runners or springs to help them stay stable during an earthquake. Cutting-edge steel-based solutions, such as shape memory alloys and advanced damping systems, are being developed to further improve the resilience of buildings.
Wood
Wooden houses can generally withstand earthquakes better than those made of brittle materials such as concrete. This is due to the flexibility of wood, allowing it to bend and sway during an earthquake, which reduces the chances of structural failure. However, the safety of a wooden house during an earthquake depends on how well it is designed and built, as well as its location and soil conditions. Properly constructed wooden structures that follow building codes and plans are resilient, able to perform with minimal damage during seismic events. They are also ideal for use in safe rooms, which protect occupants from debris and other life-threatening consequences of an earthquake or strong wind event.
Historically, wood framing has been the dominant construction method for residential buildings in seismic-prone areas of the United States. This is because it offers lower cost and faster construction than concrete and steel. Building codes have also been adapted to allow wood framing to be used in taller buildings, particularly with the introduction of mass timber construction.
While the recent advancements in mass timber are a positive development for builders, it is important to know how well this type of construction performs during an earthquake. Wood frame buildings typically incorporate plywood and oriented strand board (OSB) diaphragms and shear walls, which provide multiple and redundant load paths for resisting earthquake forces. In contrast, engineered concrete and steel buildings are designed with a specific strength and resistance to seismic forces. The 2017 update to AIR’s U.S. earthquake model included a set of enhancements for modeling the vulnerability of wood frame buildings.
Metal
Historically, builders have sourced their building materials from the local environment. These days, however, we’re seeing a shift towards using materials that are industrially produced and imported. While this makes for faster buildings, it has a negative impact on the environment.
Earthquake resilience is a growing concern for builders and homeowners alike. Fortunately, there are many ways to make your home or business more resilient against earthquakes. Using architectural metals in your construction can help to mitigate the effects of an earthquake, protecting occupants and increasing structural integrity.
While some people may believe that steel buildings don’t do well in an earthquake, the reality is quite the opposite. Steel has been used for decades to reinforce buildings, helping them to withstand seismic vibration and damage.
One of the most common methods for reducing the impact of an earthquake is to use a system called base isolation. This involves creating a separate structure around the main building that absorbs the energy of an earthquake. This method has been shown to significantly reduce the amount of structural damage that occurs during an earthquake.
Other methods for increasing the seismic resilience of a building include using cross bracing to strengthen walls and incorporating flexible frames that allow the building to flex during an earthquake. Lastly, it’s important to conduct regular building safety inspections to identify any potential problems and make necessary repairs.
Concrete
Concrete is the most common construction material used in the world. It is well-known for its durability and strength, but it also has other qualities that make it a great choice for earthquake resilient buildings.
For one thing, it has good ductility. Ductility is the ability of a building to bend and move without losing its strength. This is important for earthquake resilience because a structure needs to be able to absorb the energy of an earthquake and move with it rather than being stuck in place and causing damage to other structures.
Another important characteristic of concrete is its ability to resist compression forces. This is why it is so popular in bridges and power plants. It is also used in foundations and walls because it is strong enough to support the weight of a building. However, it is not strong enough to resist the horizontal forces caused by an earthquake. This is where most buildings fail during an earthquake, stressing their foundations and walls.
When concrete is designed to be more resistant to earthquakes, it is built with fiber-reinforced joints and connections. It is also designed to dissipate the energy of an earthquake by absorbing it at its source and dispersing it over a large area. Finally, it is often designed to use recycled aggregate that is made from the byproducts of coal burning in power plants.