‘SAFE BUILDINGS FOR LIFE’

vice president, Earthquake Protection Systems Inc, California, shares tips on safe building technology


In the US, both the Building Code requirements and Building Industry practices are shifting towards resilience in design and construction to minimise earthquake damage. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) latest Building Code Standard on Functionality requires Essential Facilities (Risk Category IV Structures) to remain functional and operational after a design level earthquake. A design level earthquake is defined as an earthquake that has a 10 per cent probability of exceedance during the 50-year design life of a building structure;

The Building Code objectives should now change from “Collapse Prevention” to “Damage Prevention”. The automotive industry has already started shifting from “Occupant Safety” to “Collision Prevention” with the integration of smart sensors and advanced braking technology;

Implementing appropriate seismic isolation technology in building design provides the highest level of safety and damage prevention compared to any available alternate construction technology. Seismic isolation is a design approach where the structure is separated from ground by specially manufactured isolators, so that during an earthquake the isolators absorb a majority of ground movement, thereby allowing the structure to move gently. Without isolators the structure moves violently with the ground during an earthquake causing damage, or even collapse.

It is like a filter system that is placed on top of foundation, which reduces earthquake forces by almost 90 per cent;

When it comes to Building Code requirements for earthquakes all over the world there is a major disconnect between the owners’ expectation and what the codes deliver for post-earthquake functioning. In India, a major cultural shift is needed for developers in earthquake prone regions to be aware and understand the risks involved and the limitations of the applicable regulatory building code requirements for earthquakes. Traditionally, developers want to build the cheapest structure and sell at highest price to maximise profit. Integrating new technologies for safety and damage prevention like isolation and dampers adds to the cost, but they also provide sustainability and investment protection for buyers.