Earthquake Proof Engineering: Methods, Results and Conclusion

Earthquake Proof Engineering
Unit
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1. Introduction
During the shaking of the earth, a lot of energy is released to the earth’s crust. In the crust,
this energy leads to the production of the seismic waves. The seismic waves whose intensities
vary have different effects on their areas of operation. The level of damage will therefore be
different. When the epicentre happens to be on the offshore, the whole seabed can be
displaced and this usually results into the creation of the tsunami. In the places where the
crust is too weak, the volcanic eruptions can take place while accompanied by landslide. The
plant and animals are affected in the equal measure. In order to provide real solution to these
problems, a lot of knowledge is needed and have the effects and impacts reduced. To ensure
that the preparations are of the required standard, the scientific technologies must be applied.
The engineering field that serves to design and build structures while having the issues of
earthquake in mind has sprung up (Hori, 2011, p.266). The major objective of this project is
to have a look at the current applications of the earthquake engineering and the benefits it has
brought to the areas that are prone to the earthquake.
The core objective of this engineering branch is to foresee the effects of the earthquakes on
the infrastructure such as roads, bridges and buildings in the urban centres. The field also
monitors the design and the construction of the structures to perform an exposure test to the
expectations. That would mean that this engineering branch cannot work in isolation but must
rely on other branches to have proper results. It has become an interdisciplinary field that
utilises knowledge from other fields such as mechanical engineering, chemical engineering,
civil engineering and earth science.

2. Methods
The research was conducted using the modern scientific methods. The relevant materials for
the research were collected including note books for the recoding data, cameras for the
photograph taking, safety kits, and pair of compass for the telling directions. The methods
that were used in the collection of the data were very scientific and somehow reliable. They
included the following.
1. Use of the direct Observations which included visiting the affected areas: The study
focussed on viewing of the existing applications of the earthquake engineering
practice. The existing destroyed areas by the earthquake and the area mostly affected.
This included travelling to the areas that are prone to the earthquake. The forum of the
damage inspections and assessment were established (Srbulov, 2008, p.278).
2. Reading of the existing books and journals on the earthquake proof engineering: The
existing materials were thoroughly read to establish the much-needed information on
the topic that was under study. This was necessary to make the study relevant and to
work from the informed point of view.
3. Visiting the laboratories that researches on the engineering applications to that are
aimed at managing the effects of the earthquakes
4. Intensive Interviews on the relevant authorities including the affected individuals
5. Questionnaires: The questions asked were of different types and they included.
 What are the experiences of earthquakes to the individuals?
 What are the extents of destruction of earthquakes in the areas affected?
 What is the level of preparedness for the earthquakes disasters by the
authorities and other agencies?

 What are the examples of existing structures that are meant to protect and
subvert the consequences of the earthquake and how effective are these
structures?
 How effective are these structures and do they have limitations and
weaknesses? Which ones?
In process of the research, the interviews predominated the most of the work. The audience of
the experts on the earthquake engineering was sort and their experiences recorded for further
analysis and evaluation of the findings (Paz, 2012, p.266).
The study experienced a lot of challenges. The research was conducted purely in English and
some of the information needed was to be collected in other languages since the locals could
not understand the English language. Language barrier therefore was one of the limitations
and difficulties faced. Heavy rains and very hot weather
The period that was allocated for the study was too short to cover everything at once
Having an access to some areas were a major challenge due to poor roads
There was lack of information in some places that were visited and this was a big blow to the
study.
3. Results
The infrastructure that is always resistant is meant to lower and withstand the impacts of the
earthquake in the areas affected. The loss of lives has been reduced through preventing the
collapse of the new and old buildings. The earthquake engineering has utilised the research
results and computer technology used and to offer the requirements to combats and minimise
the impacts of the phenomenon (Srbulov, 2008, p.232).