Earthquake Preparedness Construction Technologies

Earthquakes are known to have claimed more lives around the globe than any other natural disaster, only after tsunamis. Current science and technology has levelled-up to a point where a head-start can be detected for an impending seismic activity, however, this is not enough to save any damage. The earthquake warning systems still need to go a long way. A couple of years ago, there was no technology whatsoever to predict earthquakes. In the earthquake prone countries like Japan, an alternative solution needed to be developed. This solution came in the form of incorporating ductility in the constructed elements of the prone region.

When earthquakes strike, damage to property is done because the materials used in their construction are more or less rigid. When the structure shakes because of seismic activity, forces acting in the structural elements tend to cause a lot of shearing and twisting. Rigid materials are weak at these two characteristics, therefore buildings crack and debris starts falling. Through introducing more steel in the structural elements of a building, a greater amount of ductility is induced in it, which enables the structure to withstand more shearing and twisting. However, this is not the complete solution for earthquake safety. Other precautions need to be taken, which include techniques like base isolation and vibration control mechanisms.

What most people would not have known is that there exist building codes, which contain guidelines to constructing earthquake safe buildings. The design principles mentioned in these codes basically focus more on allowing the building occupants a safe exit in times of crisis. Earthquake preparedness methods outlined in these codes demand that a building be able to withstand a rare earthquake of high magnitude that the region is likely to experience. The magnitude of this earthquake is calculated through probability analyses. The codes also demand that an earthquake safe building should retain a major portion of its functionality after getting hit by non-rare, small-magnitude earthquakes.

Seismic activity has always been unpredictable. During ancient times, the people used to incorporate safety in their structures through making them overly stiff and heavy, so that vibrations from earthquakes never crossed over that threshold which a building requires to start crumbling. Today, technologies like inducing ductility, pendulum balance, base isolation, etc. exist that help the buildings to adjust their dynamics according to the forces that an earthquake generates in their structural joints. Materials being used are also tested safe in laboratories for the same kind of forces that seismic activity produces. In Asian countries, precast concrete has been found to deliver satisfactory performance during seismic shocks. In fact, precast concrete has been performing well during earthquakes the world over. Material technology and science today has also evolved to a point where damage to life can be minimized through using properly lab-tested and verified technologies in earthquake safety constructions.

The regions where earthquake is a more or less common phenomenon, construction safety and earthquake preparedness practices are mandated. For more information on Oregon earthquake preparedness, visit Ezsystemspdx.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shawn DoHerty is an expert when it comes to earthquake safety issues and loves writing interesting articles and blogs, helping people in making the right safety choices. He recommends Ezsystemspdx.com as the best name to trust for any kind of information related to earthquake preparedness in Portland.

Shawn DoHerty is an expert when it comes to earthquake safety issues and loves writing interesting articles