Design Earthquake Resistant Structures » flexibility http://articles.architectjaved.com/earthquake_resistant_structures Form follows function - that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union - Frank Lloyd Wright Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:11:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Earthquake Resistant Structures | Engineering Tips http://articles.architectjaved.com/earthquake_resistant_structures/design-earthquake-resistant-buildings-engineering-tips/ http://articles.architectjaved.com/earthquake_resistant_structures/design-earthquake-resistant-buildings-engineering-tips/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:20:22 +0000 Architect http://articles.architectjaved.com/earthquake_resistant_structures/?p=5 Earthquakes are a major geological phenomena. Man has been terrified of this phenomena for ages, as little has been known about the causes of earthquakes, but it leaves behind a trail of destruction. There are hundreds of small earthquakes around the world everyday. Some of them are so minor that humans cannot feel them, but seismographs and other sensitive machines can record them. Earthquakes occur when tectonic plates move and rub against each other. Sometimes, due to this movement, they snap and rebound to their original position. This might cause a large earthquakes as the tectonic plates try to settle down. This is known as the Elastic Rebound Theory.

Haiti Earthquake 2010

Haiti Earthquake 2010

Every year, earthquakes take the lives of thousands of people , and destroy property worth billions. The 2010 Haiti Earthquake killed over 1,50,000 people and destroyed entire cities and villages. Designing Earthquake Resistant Structures is indispensable. It is imperative that structures are designed to resist earthquake forces, in order to reduce the loss of life. The science of Earthquake Engineering and Structural Design has improved tremendously, and thus, today, we can design safe structures which can safely withstand earthquakes of reasonable magnitude.

Index of all posts on Earthquake Resistant Structures

  1. Design Earthquake Resistant Buildings | Engineering Tips
  2. Earthquakes and Natural Calamities
  3. Types of Seismic Waves
  4. Hazardous Effects of Earthquakes
  5. Effect of Earthquakes on Structures
  6. Building Stiffness and Flexibility | Earthquake Engineering
  7. Inertial Forces in a Structure
  8. Effects of Deformations in Structures
  9. Horizontal and Vertical Shaking of a Structure
  10. Flow of Inertia Forces to Foundations
  11. How Earthquakes affect Reinforced Concrete Buildings
  12. Building Planning | Earthquake Resistant Buildings
  13. Earthquake Resistant Structures by Planning and Design Approach
  14. Design Philosophy of Earthquake Resistant Designs
  15. Building Construction Materials for Earthquake Resistance
  16. Concept of Earthquake Resistant Engineering
  17. Seismic Base Isolation Technique for Building Earthquake Resistance
  18. Energy Dissipation Devices for Earthquake Resistant Building Design
  19. Active Control Devices for Earthquake Resistance

]]> http://articles.architectjaved.com/earthquake_resistant_structures/design-earthquake-resistant-buildings-engineering-tips/feed/ 3 Building Stiffness and Flexibility | Earthquake Engineering http://articles.architectjaved.com/earthquake_resistant_structures/building-stiffness-and-flexibility-earthquake-engineering/ http://articles.architectjaved.com/earthquake_resistant_structures/building-stiffness-and-flexibility-earthquake-engineering/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:15:21 +0000 Architect http://articles.architectjaved.com/earthquake_resistant_structures/?p=30 The taller a building, the longer its natural period tends to be.  But the height of a building is also related to another important structural characteristic: the building flexibility.  Taller buildings tend to be more flexible than short buildings. (Only consider a thin metal rod.  If it is very short, it is difficulty to bend it in your hand.  If the rod is somewhat longer, and of the same diameter, it becomes much easier to bend.  Buildings behave similarly) we say that a short building is stiff, while a taller building is flexible.  (Obviously, flexibility and stiffness are really just the two sides of the same coin.  If something is stiff, it isn’t flexible and vice-versa).

Displacement of Building according to their Height & Stiffness

Displacement of Building according to their Height & Stiffness

Ductility is the ability to undergo distortion or deformation without resulting in complete breakage or failure.  To see how ductility can improve a building’s performance during an earthquake, see the above figure.  In response to the ground motion, the rod bends but does not break.  (of course, metals in general are more ductile than materials such as stone, brick and concrete)  The ductility of a structure is in fact one of the most important factors affecting its earthquake performance.  One of the primary tasks of an engineer designing a building to be earthquake resistant is to ensure that the building will possess enough ductility to withstand the size and types of earthquakes it is likely to experience during its lifetime.

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