University Project: Earthquake Resistant Buildings and Design

This project delves into the critical aspects of earthquake-resistant construction, focusing on designs and techniques aimed at minimizing building damage and ensuring safety during seismic events. The project begins with an introduction to earthquakes, their impact on buildings, and the necessity for specialized designs in areas prone to frequent seismic activity, especially in regions like Nepal. It explains how ground movement during earthquakes causes buildings to oscillate, leading to stress on shear walls, and ultimately, collapse. The project then outlines the features of earthquake-resistant buildings, including computer-controlled weight systems, interlocking steel frames, automatic window shuttering, evacuation routes, fire-resistant materials, and deep foundations. It emphasizes that while 100% earthquake resistance is impossible, risks can be minimized through strategic design. The project further discusses the optimization of specific structural elements, particularly in the context of Nepal, where seismic activity is frequent. It highlights the work of the Smart Shelter Research (SSR) and the ongoing efforts to enhance horizontal and vertical building components, such as roof diaphragms, steel bars, and rubber absorbers. The project concludes by acknowledging the high cost of current earthquake-resistant structures and the need for continued research and development to create more affordable and efficient solutions. References to related research papers are also provided.

Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Engineering Science
Project: Earthquake
Resistant Construction
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Earthquake resistant buildings are those that are specifically designed and built to prevent the buildings
from falling apart during earthquakes.
These designs are necessary, especially in the areas that are prone to frequent earthquakes.
During earthquake, due to strong movement of the ground, especially in high magnitude quakes, large
sized buildings often get unstable and eventually falls off, causing deaths of a huge number of people.
Introduction

Earthquake is the seismic activity of the earth
that causes the ground to move for a certain
amount of time (generally few seconds, while a
few can last for minutes).
Earthquakes occurring near heavily populated
areas, especially big cities, cause massive
destruction including collapsing of buildings,
creation of fault lines and others. These in turn
cause losses of huge number of lives.
In order to prevent the collapse of the buildings,
technology has been utilized to design the
infrastructures such that they will not collapse
during the earthquake tremors.
Earthquake

The ground movement during earthquake causes
the high buildings to start oscillating, resulting in
the application of strain on the shear walls of the
buildings.
When the strain exceeds a threshold level, the
shear walls start to collapse.
As the shear walls collapse, the entire balance of
the upper stairs is lost resulting in the accelerated
collapse of the entire building.
Since this process is extremely fast, often
residents get trapped inside the building and
ultimately die when the entire building collapses
with the residents inside.
Effect of Earthquake on Buildings

In order to prevent collapse of high rise buildings,
during earthquake, earthquake resistant designs
were introduced.
It was proposed that the infrastructure designs of
the buildings should be made such that no part of
the walls will be damaged during tremors so that
the buildings will not collapse.
Such developments require complex designs,
structural planning and proper choice of
materials.
Earthquake Resistant Buildings

It is to be noted that construction of 100%
earthquake resistant building is not possible as
even the strongest and the most strategically
designed structures cannot withstand the strong
earthquakes (magnitudes greater that 7.5-8).
However, the risk of building collapse can be
minimized using earthquake resistant designs
that will stand much longer than regular designed
buildings.
The main feature of these buildings is that the
foundations are sunk into the bed rock avoiding
the clay layer.
Earthquake Resistant Buildings (Contd.)

Earthquake resistant buildings have some unique
features.
The buildings have computer controlled weight
system on the roofs.
Interlocking steel frames are used to prevent
the building structure from falling apart.
The steel frames also can sway during earth
movements that help to keep the actual building
structure intact.
Building Features

The buildings have automatic window shuttering
system.
This system prevents the window glass from breaking
and shattering.
These buildings have evacuation roads through which
the residents can quickly get out during the
earthquakes.
The building materials used are fire resistant.
Building Features (Contd.)

The building compound has open areas where the residents can accumulate during earthquakes.
Foundations are built deep into the bedrock in order to avoid the loose clay layer of the ground.
At the base of the buildings, rubber shock absorbers are used that can absorb low and mid level earth
tremors.
Building Features (Contd.)

As per the earthquake frequency and magnitude at
various regions of the world, there are requirements
for the optimization of specific elements of the
structures.
The focus for this particular presentation is the
country of Nepal.
Nepal is in a very highly active seismic zone that
faces earthquakes very frequently.
Optimization of Specific Elements

In order to optimize the specific elements of earthquake resistant buildings in Nepal, the Smart Shelter
Research (SSR) has been established.
Nepal faces at least 50 small and medium magnitude earthquakes every year.
Construction works have started for building earthquake resistant buildings in Nepal.
Optimization of Specific Elements (Cnt.)

In Nepal, over the last few years, a number of
earthquake resistant schools have been built.
However, these are only temporary measures
against such disastrous natural occurrences.
There are certain elements of the buildings that
can be further enhanced.
These elements include horizontal and vertical
components.
Optimization of Specific Elements (Cnt.)