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Earthquake Safety. By: Victor Abravanel. Approaches to Safety. Determining an earthquakes occurrence before it actually happens?! Relief efforts in place before the actual event. Being prepared for tsunami related events.
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Earthquake Safety By: Victor Abravanel
Approaches to Safety • Determining an earthquakes occurrence before it actually happens?! • Relief efforts in place before the actual event. • Being prepared for tsunami related events. • Rendering buildings less susceptible to earthquake related damages. *Focus of presentation*
Predicting Earthquakes • At this point there are no highly effective predictors other than seismograph readings a few seconds before a major event. • General earthquake averages can be predicted but this is not useful towards population evacuations. http://imgarcade.com/1/seismogram/
Relief Efforts in Place • Have agencies in place ready to aid in the case of a major earthquake. • Can include multilateral aid. • Image on right of the US army providing water to Haiti. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2010_Haiti_earthquake_relief_efforts_by_the_US_Army.jpg
Tsunami Preparations • Tsunamis can follow an earthquake and will result in massive damage. • Tips: • Prepare emergency kits in advance. • Stay away from the beach. • Head for high ground. • Do not fight the current. Grab onto something and go for a ride. http://www.secretsofthefed.com/tsunami-bomb-tested-off-new-zealand-coast/
Earthquake Resistant designs • Site choice • Structural components • Ductility • Active mass damping • Seismic invisibility cloak
Site Choice • Bedrock is the ideal place to build structures because of its firmness. • Soft or filled-in soil can undergo liquefaction during an earthquake and behave like a liquid.
Structural components • Create a continuous load path so that forces can be transferred from the frame of the house to the foundation. • Insertion of shear panels can provide additional strength against lateral loads acting on structures. • Buildings can also be built with metal springs, ball bearings and rubber pads. • Symmetry to prevent torsional stress and equally distribute forces.
Ductility • Ductility refers to a materials ability to undergo plastic deformation. • Brick and concrete have low ductility and so are not ideal for earthquake safety. • Steel-reinforced concrete or structural steel are much more ductile. They can absorb more energy without breaking. http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Materials/Mechanical/Tensile.htm
Active Mass Damping • One of the more technologically advanced methods for creating earthquake-resistant buildings. • On the right is the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Taipei101.portrait.altonthompson.jpg
Active Mass Damping • Consists of including a heavy mass near the top of the building that is attached to viscous dampers that act as shock absorbers. • When the building begins to oscillate the mass will move in the opposite direction, reducing the amplitude of the mechanical vibration. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Taipei_101_Tuned_Mass_Damper.png
Seismic Invisibility Cloak • Concentric plastic rings are installed underground in the top three feet of soil. • Harder layers are further from the building. Each time the wave hits a softer layer it is deflected off its initial path. • Once past the building the waves can continue on their path. http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-10/earthquake-proof-skyscraper
Sources • Retrieved March 24th, 2014 fromhttp://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/earthquake-resistant-buildings.htm • Retrieved March 24th, 2014 fromhttp://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-10/earthquake-proof-skyscraper • Retrieved March 24th, 2014 fromhttp://www.safestronghome.com/earthquake/02.asp • Tsunami. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 24th, 2014 fromhttp://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Tsunami • Earthquake prediction. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 24th, 2014 fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_prediction