Everywhere there is an old building, its damages are not hidden. The crevices and its cracks on its surfaces that makes it look weak and dangerous. One reason why damages on building are often seen is seismic activities. This is the movements below the ground or so called earthquake. The shaking caused by this natural disaster affects the structure of a building and sometimes even destroying it. In addition, the ground or soil where a structure is built can also be deformed making it not a great base for skyscrapers anymore.
To resolve such problem, an attempt to make homes resistant to disturbances is created like apartment buildings seismic retrofit that made possible to protect the homes of people. This is basically somewhat like remodeling of an old structure, though the entire components are not changed. There are parts of the current design that is improved so it becomes more resistant to not only earthquake but also cyclones and such.
Countries that is surrounded by tectonic plates are often prone to earthquakes due to the constant movements of plates below the ground. Usually homes and apartments are mostly affected of these ground movements because its structure is weak and often made with just light materials. Every year, there are numerous total of homes that are ruined because of seismic activities.
The initial usage of this technique started late nineties in countries such as Japan and US. Although, during that time the details was not yet well modified. There were just basic strategies formed to implement slight seismic protection but was not really that good enough. Though after that, there were so much architectural researches that were conducted so that it would be more useful.
Because of that, there were number of seismic protection that was created and used as a technique on making sure that structures are capable of standing even through a disaster. The first one is called strengthening. It is adding cross braces within the building to add capacity, in addition there were also structural walls that was built.
The brace serves as grip on parts that are weakest, holding it tight so it would not sway that much when movements on the ground are present. In Japan, this is called steel tendons, this are present to most of the buildings. It is actually one of the few method that started the retrofitting. In California, one bridge was built using the same protection.
Next technique is known, supplementary damping. This uses a base isolation system which means it is the soil that serves as base that is made capable of supporting the entire infrastructure. The protection is down below and not on the actual apartment. The vibration is absorbed by the ground so that the shaking on the higher parts is reduced.
Supplementary dampers are known to absorb the energy released when there is an earthquake, then it is converted into heat. Due to the conversion, acceleration of the houses built on its surface and displacement is drastically reduced. Dampers are most like shock absorbers in a sense.
When choosing the materials in building a house or apartment, choosing high capacity elements or materials is also means of ground movement protection. Individual components should be stiff and have strong strength so it would not be easily affected when there is ground movements. Some old structures should have selective upgrade on which components are supposed to be strengthen more.
To resolve such problem, an attempt to make homes resistant to disturbances is created like apartment buildings seismic retrofit that made possible to protect the homes of people. This is basically somewhat like remodeling of an old structure, though the entire components are not changed. There are parts of the current design that is improved so it becomes more resistant to not only earthquake but also cyclones and such.
Countries that is surrounded by tectonic plates are often prone to earthquakes due to the constant movements of plates below the ground. Usually homes and apartments are mostly affected of these ground movements because its structure is weak and often made with just light materials. Every year, there are numerous total of homes that are ruined because of seismic activities.
The initial usage of this technique started late nineties in countries such as Japan and US. Although, during that time the details was not yet well modified. There were just basic strategies formed to implement slight seismic protection but was not really that good enough. Though after that, there were so much architectural researches that were conducted so that it would be more useful.
Because of that, there were number of seismic protection that was created and used as a technique on making sure that structures are capable of standing even through a disaster. The first one is called strengthening. It is adding cross braces within the building to add capacity, in addition there were also structural walls that was built.
The brace serves as grip on parts that are weakest, holding it tight so it would not sway that much when movements on the ground are present. In Japan, this is called steel tendons, this are present to most of the buildings. It is actually one of the few method that started the retrofitting. In California, one bridge was built using the same protection.
Next technique is known, supplementary damping. This uses a base isolation system which means it is the soil that serves as base that is made capable of supporting the entire infrastructure. The protection is down below and not on the actual apartment. The vibration is absorbed by the ground so that the shaking on the higher parts is reduced.
Supplementary dampers are known to absorb the energy released when there is an earthquake, then it is converted into heat. Due to the conversion, acceleration of the houses built on its surface and displacement is drastically reduced. Dampers are most like shock absorbers in a sense.
When choosing the materials in building a house or apartment, choosing high capacity elements or materials is also means of ground movement protection. Individual components should be stiff and have strong strength so it would not be easily affected when there is ground movements. Some old structures should have selective upgrade on which components are supposed to be strengthen more.
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