There are many ways to predict natural disasters, however, the time and intensity of such incidents are often unprecedented. Earthquakes are sudden intense shaking of the ground that often cause tremendous destruction in the areas they hit. To prevent such accidents, Earthquake proof buildings must be built.
Earthquakes are natural calamities that result in soil breakdown, severe damage to buildings, and worst of all– death. Engineers have created new designs and construction materials to better equip structures to resist earthquakes over the last few years.
It is important for architects, construction companies, and other stakeholders involved in the construction of structures to work towards sustainable buildings rather than using traditional methods.
Agency21 International is here to guide you through several ways to make a building earthquake-proof. Hold onto this article!
Ways To Make A Building Earthquake Proof
It is to be noted that traditional ways to construct buildings are not fragile or mistaken. To prepare for potential earthquakes, people have now started using earthquake-proof construction tactics to avoid future disasters.
Pakistan has faced several earthquake disasters in the past, thus it is evident that future natural disasters are likely to occur again. Here are some of the techniques used to make buildings more earthquake-resistant:
1. Lay A Stable Foundation
Natural disasters are difficult to predict and, usually, unforeseen. Preparing for natural disasters is essential, especially if you are residing in an area where such incidents have occurred before. As for earthquakes, we don’t quite know when they will emerge and with what magnitude. Sometimes they are completely harmless, but other times they can destroy multiple buildings at once!
As a first step, laying down a stable foundation will do the trick. A strong base will enable the building to stand through natural disasters. The foundation of a particular structure is highly critical to the development of the building. If the foundation is weak, the building will collapse with the help of any natural disaster.
Thorough research should be done before constructing a building on a particular land. The land should be checked and inspected properly before laying down the foundation. Post-check-up should be performed during and after the process of developing the base.
2. Base Isolation
Base isolation is also known as seismic base isolation. Seismic base isolation is a popular method of safeguarding a structure against earthquake effects. This tactic is used to separate the ground forces from the structure of the building. It is a combination of physical elements that should significantly disconnect a building from its foundation, which is laying on the shaking ground, thereby ensuring the stability of a structure.
To implement this, the building structure is built on pads so that during times of natural disasters, the pads move instead of the entire structure. This way, the foundation of the buildings will move with earthquakes instead of the entire building.
Buildings become hazardous during earthquakes because of their potential to collapse after a few big shakes. A solid foundation is essential for a building’s survival.
3. Weight Of The Building
Needless to say, the more the weight of a building, the stronger it will be. Generally, if anything is extremely heavy, it will be harder to move it (or make it fall).
Placing more weight on the structure will enable a stronger foundation. For the base to be strong, the building should have extra partitions or structures for it to be heavy. Additional weight should be placed on the lower floors for the foundation of the structure to be strong.
Earthquakes can damage concrete which is commonly used in the construction of buildings. It is comparatively easy for concrete to crumble and collapse, therefore, iron rods can be used as an alternative as well.
4. Building Materials
This part is crucial to making a building earthquake resistant. Selecting the right building materials will naturally give off better results. It is also important to note that only credible materials should be used which have been proven to resist natural disasters. Without any doubt, during an earthquake, concrete buildings may be one of the strongest and most enduring structures.
Important key elements of earthquake-proof structures (like pillars) are generally made of structural steel and concrete. For better results, they are adjoined together for better efficiency to tackle against earthquakes.
Evidence states that steel and wood have proven to be the best earthquake-resistant construction materials. Multiple construction materials have been created to increase the earthquake resistance of structures. Structural steel, reinforced concrete, poles, and concrete joints are some materials that you can consider for building an earthquake-proof building. Wood is a considerable option, however, it is weaker than rest of the options.
5. Hire Experts To Do The Job!
When preparing to enhance your structure, you may need to employ a contractor, engineer, architect, or design specialist to help you. Do your research before hiring a professional to do the job for you. With thorough research, you can find the best architects, design specialists, and engineers in your area. One thing you should be doing is getting all your doubts cleared and all your questions answered before taking them onboard.
It is without a doubt that professionals can do a better job at building earthquake-proof structures. Leave it to the experts to design your building! Years of research have been conducted on earthquake-proofing structures, thus knowledge of those engineers or architects can be a game-changer.
What Else Can You Do To Safeguard Against Earthquakes?
It is always preferable to be safe than sorry! Try incorporating furniture in your homes that are not heavy. The reason for this is that heavy furniture can easily fall during earthquakes and can cause a lot of damage. We would advise you to keep an earthquake emergency kit as well as there is very little we can do to prevent earthquakes. Moreover, a plan should be devised beforehand for you and your family to take the right measures if such disasters occur.
Thousands of earthquakes occur every year. Taking measures to safeguard against potential earthquakes is simply imperative for everyone to avoid any sort of damage or loss. Widely used electronic appliances and equipment like microwaves should be kept affixed to wherever they have been placed.
Even if you are hiring professionals to do the job, you must make your own efforts to safeguard yourself against potential earthquakes. The aforementioned tips are highly advisable, however, if you are living in an area prone to earthquakes, you should do further research and take precautions beforehand.
We hope you found this blog useful. For similar informative articles, have a look at our blog.
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