Steel Building Design For Earthquakes And Safety


by Adrianna Noton - Date: 2010-07-07 - Word Count: 505 Share This!

Our living planet is an ever changing entity often prone to violent earth shifts. In specific zones earthquakes are commonplace and the need for steel building design for earthquakes is a very necessary safety consideration. The unpredictability of earthquakes makes it necessary for buildings to be earthquake ready at all times.

Over many decades vast sums of money have been spent on research to determine which materials and which design types are best suited to creating earthquake resistant building designs. After extensive testing it was discovered that steel is a better material to use in construction due to its flexibility and strength.

Steel is highly ductile and has proven to be the best choice for building construction in earthquake prone regions. The material does need to be used in a specific way to achieve the best resistance, so design is a very important factor. The two factors need to be carefully combined as a poorly designed building could suffer damage, no matter the quality of the steel used.

The buildings weight distribution is extremely important when considering the early design concepts for a structure that will have to withstand the forces of an earthquake. A top heavy building is going to be far more likely to topple than one that carries the bulk of it weight in the foundations and lower stories.

Traditionally steel rebar is used to form a large part of the structure of any building, but the weight balance should be mostly concentrated in the lower regions of said building. As each new floor is added the construction should consist of light weight materials. Keep in mind that many large structures are capable of having thousands of people in the structure at any one time and safety should be a high priority.

Prevention is far better than cure and careful planning can ensure that a building sustains minimal damage in the event of an earthquake. If a buildings structural supports fail during any earthquake the effects can be far reaching, not only injuring the occupants, but causing untold damage to the surrounding infrastructure.

Standard design elements for improved strength and integrity include trusses, shear walls, eccentrically braced frames, diaphragms and concentrically braced frames. These forms add to the flexibility of the design and help to dissipate the forces created by earthquakes. Diaphragms are designed to evenly distribute the horizontal forces exerted onto a building.

A large consideration is the purpose of the building. Will it be a hospital, a school, or perhaps a public library? Weight distribution is very important and with a library, it should be situated on the lower floors for better inertial damping. The heavier the load, the closer to the foundation it should be and where possible, nearest the centre of the building.

Symmetry is favourable for a stronger structure as is the use and incorporation of I bars, boxed W bars, flanged cruciform, box sections, H bars and I sections. Asymmetrical designs have a lower structural integrity to withstand the forces exerted on a building during an earthquake, but again, clever design is the key.


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