Earthquake Resistant Buildings: each year, hundreds of people die in all corners of the world because of earthquakes. This natural phenomenon puts the lives of many people at risk, especially those living in highly dense areas. If we think of it in a technical term, the earthquake itself does not pose a great risk. What poses risk is the collapse of buildings. Buildings are generally designed to withstand the load of inhabitants and other household materials. They are not traditionally designed to be earthquake resistant. Yes, it is possible to design such buildings that are resistant to the earthquake by keeping them flexible and light so that they can distribute and absorb the energy created by ground movements.
How to Build Earthquake Resistant Buildings?
- Start from the top
First, start with the roof since it is the lightest part of the structure. In the past, it was seen that most of the damages occurred because of heavy rooftops.
- Materials
The material typically used for building construction is the one that breaks when bent. You need to make use of material that bents without breaking. When the structure will be designed using such material, it will not break. Tests have shown that the building frame is of absolute importance in tackling earthquakes. Partitions, concrete floors and light walls can help a lot in this regard.
- Different methods
In fact, there is no certain way we can design a complete earthquake-proof building. Yet, there are some ways to reduce the damage to the minimum level.
The first and the easiest method, as mentioned above, is making use of flexible material. Flexible material will not break and hence the building will not collapse as a whole. It may swing during the earthquakes but you can rest assured that it will not fall down.
The second option is using the general approaches and making the building so rigid that it withstands all the forces. It is about making as much stronger building as possible so that the forces can’t have an impact on it.
Another useful method is designing buildings with some dampers. Dampers are a sort of shock absorbers. They will absorb all the force and hence the damage of the earthquake will be minimal. It will lessen the magnitude of the force and thus you will have a safer property.
Finally, it is up to you to decide what suits you the most. You need to take care of all the related things yourself. Make use of the techniques you feel are the most suitable for you.