Skyscrapers and concrete jungles dominate Japan’s skyline. It is renowned as one of the most resilient structures in the world, with elastic structures that move in time with earthquakes. Even in the event of natural calamities like earthquakes, the buildings appear to be indestructible due to the sturdy engineering.
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Earthquake proof house design: Setting the benchmark
It goes without saying that buildings must be structurally sound and resilient given the frequency with which earthquakes are reoccurring in light of climate change. When creating earthquake-proof buildings, engineers take into account two types of resilience.
First of all, buildings are built to withstand light tremors, which have occurred three to four times since their construction. Any kind of damage that necessitates structural repair for these kinds of buildings is unacceptable.
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Second, the buildings were made with severe earthquakes in mind. The Great Kanto Earthquake that struck Japan in 1923 set the standard for this group. According to the Richter scale, the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.9.
Tokyo and Yokohama were the epicenter of the earthquake, which claimed the lives of 140,000 people. Preserving the structure is not the main objective in this kind of earthquake; saving human lives is.
Five techniques to make a building earthquake-proof are provided by Graana.
Structural Design Aspects
Most horizontal forces, such as earthquakes, are responsible for disruptions in vertical structures. Less than 50% of the horizontal structures are influenced by these vertical forces as well. The primary cause of buildings collapsing during an earthquake is that the walls were not built to code. A building’s roof collapses when an earthquake causes the walls to move outward.
The walls and roof must be constructed in such a way that they can swing apart from one another in the event of an earthquake. According to experts, it is best to firmly fasten the walls to the walls or to attach them to a system of posts where the weight is distributed evenly.
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Flexible Foundation
The foundation can also be strengthened by using the “base isolation” technique. This method involves using distinctive architectural designs to raise the building off the ground.
Shock absorbers and seismic dampers have similar functions. Vibrational Control Devices and Pendulum Power are the two main ways to apply dampness.
Seismic Dampers
The use of dampers between columns and beams on every level of the structure is made possible by vibration control devices. The drag is a device made up of a piston head contained inside a cylindrical container stuffed with silicone oil. When there is an earthquake, the shock waves’ energy is transferred to the piston, pushing it harder against the oil. As a result, the seismic energy is transformed into heat, which results in energy dissipation. As a result, property damage is avoided.
Pendulum power is another technique. Skyscrapers are where this damping technique is primarily used. With the help of steel cables and this technique, a massive ball is suspended. The hydraulic system is located at the top of the structure, and these cables are connected to it. The balls function as pendulums and move in the opposite direction when the building is subjected to a force that causes it to sway. This stabilizes the structure.
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Shape Of House
The stability of a house plan is greatly influenced by its shape. A plan should, ideally, offer more of a safety net against shocks the more compact it is. In addition, the plan’s shape strengthens its structural integrity. For instance, engineers favor square layouts over rectangles. In a similar vein, round plans are preferred to square ones.
A study on the impact of wall shapes on the response to seismic waves was conducted at the University of Kassel for a doctoral thesis. The test revealed that the square plan began to crack after the second stroke and fell apart entirely after four strokes.
On the other hand, the earth house with a circular floor plan began to show cracks after three strokes and small wall damage after six strokes.
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Earthquake Proof Materials
The choice of materials is just as crucial to a building’s structural stability as structural design and engineering contributions. It is well known that some building materials perform better during earthquakes than others. These materials include structural steel, wood, and cutting-edge ones like memory alloy and bamboo.
The capacity of a building material to withstand strain and vibrate in response to various energy frequencies is correlated with that material’s performance. Modern buildings are increasingly made of structural steel, which enables the structure to bend without breaking. Similar to metal, wood has a high degree of ductility, making it resilient to stress.
