Earth Quake Resistant Structure Design - 1

Abstract:

Earthquakes are very serious problems since they affect human life in various ways. The conventional approach to earthquake resistant design of buildings depends upon providing the building with strength, stiffness and inelastic deformation capacity which are great enough to withstand a given level of earthquake–generated force. This is generally accomplished through the selection of an appropriate structural configuration and the careful detailing of structural members, such as beams and columns, and the connections between them.

Introduction:

There are two common methods used in constructing Earthquake Resistant Designs are Base Isolation Devices and Seismic Dampers. This present paper also deals with above two methods in brief manner preventive measures taken by them in resisting Earthquakes.

What are Earthquakes?

• Earthquakes are sudden movements over the surface of Earth.
• It may also be defined as sudden shift of rock over the Fracture of Earth.
• When such quakes happen, enormous amounts of energy is released, which is far greater than big nuclear bomb.

How Earthquakes are measured?

• The Earthquakes are measured by process called Seismology.
• During an Earthquake, waves travel in surface of Earth, which carry the load of EQ to surface and then from surface to Structure to damage it.
• The waves which travel in surface of Earth and transfer to load of EQ are called Earthquake waves or Seismic Waves.
• Based on Seismology, Seismometer is designed which gives the effect of EQ in graph manner.

Building Construction Materials for Earthquake Resistance

I. Masonry

Masonry is made up of burnt clay bricks and cement or mud mortar. Masonry is a brittle material, these walls develop cracks once their ability to carry horizontal load is exceeded.

II. Concrete

Concrete is another material that has been popularly used in building construction particularly over the last four decades. Concrete is much stronger than masonry under compressive loads, but again its behavior in tension is poor. The properties of concrete critically depend on the amount of water used in making concrete, too much and too little water both can cause havoc.

III. Steel

Steel is used in masonry and concrete buildings as reinforcement bars. Reinforcing steel can carry both tensile and compressive loads. Moreover steel is a ductile material. This important property of ductility enables steel bars to undergo large elongation before breaking. Concrete is used with steel reinforcement bars. This composite material is called as reinforced cement concrete.