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FEBRUARY24,2011FEBRUARY24,2011byNANOGIRL

EarthquakeProofBuildingMaterials
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11COMMENTS
TherecenteventsinChristchurchhavegotmethinkingaboutearthquakeproofmaterials.
Sincethemid70sNewZealandbuildingshavebeendesignedforearthquakeresistancewithstringentbuildingrulesandsomegreat
technologyadvancesoverthelast20years.
Unfortunatelythereisnosuchthingasanearthquakeproofmaterialtouseforbuilding.However,itisknownthatglass,bricksand
concrete,thematerialsthatweusethemost,areactuallyverybadmaterialsinearthquakes.Thisisbecausethesetypesofmaterialsare
veryweakwhenforcessuchaspulling(tensileforces)andsidewayspushing(shearforces)areappliedtothem.Whenanearthquakehitsa
buildingitcausesittobepushedandpulledinlotsofdierentdirections,whichisverydierentthantheusualcompressiveforcethata
buildingexperienceswhenthingsarenormal.
Westillbuildoutofbricksandconcretebuthelptoreinforcethebuildingbyaddingsteelrodswhichaddstrengthtothebuildingwhenit
isexposedtoforcesotherthancompression.
Soifwecantmakeearthquakeproofmaterials,canwemakeearthquakeproofbuildings?
Itsverycommontobuildanearthquakeresistantbuildingbybuildingitonanisolatingbasewhichputsthewholebuildingontopof
springs.AgreatexampleofthisinNewZealandistheTePapabuildinginWellingtonwhichwouldprobablybeoneofthesafestplacesto
beinanearthquake.

(hps://maerchaer.les.wordpress.com/2011/02/p13175pc.jpg)
Whenitwasbeingbuiltthegroundsitewasstabilisedbydropping30tonneweightsontheground50,000timestocreateahard,strong
andwellpackedbase.Thebuildingwasalsoedwithshockabsorbersmadeofrubberwhichletthebuildingmoveuptohalfametrein
anydirectionduringearthquakes.
Theseshockabsorbersareknowsasbaseisolationandtheytransferverylileforcetothebuildingfromthegroundifitsshaking.This
meansthatthebuildingwillexperiencealotlessforcefromtheearthquakeandhopefullypreventitfromcollapsing.
Anothertypeofbuildingtechnologyistouseenergydissipationdeviceswhichareusuallydiagonalbracesthatabsorbtheenergyfrom
theshake.Theyworklikeshockabsorbersonyourcaroryourmountainbikeandarecommonlyeitherviscousdampersorfriction
dampers.
Withviscousdampers,theenergyisabsorbedbytheviscous(thickandhoneylike)uidwhichpassesthroughthepiston/cylinder.
Withfrictiondampers,theenergyisabsorbedfromthefrictionofthetwosurfacesrubbingagainsteachother.

Thepicturebelowshowsacartoonofhowviscousdamperscanbeplacedinabuilding.Ifabuildingisexposedtosuddenjerksfroman
earthquake,alotoftheenergyisabsorbedbytheviscousuidandnottransferredtothebuildingitself.Thisdampsthemotionofthe
building,meaningitwillmovelessinanearthquakeandbelesslikelytocollapse.

(hps://maerchaer.les.wordpress.com/2011/02/buildingshockabsorbers.jpg)
Cartoonimage:Leftschematicofhowviscousdamperscanbeplaceddiagonallythroughabuildingtoabsorbsome
oftheenergyofanearthquake.Rightschematicofacloseupofadamperconsistingofapistonwithaviscousfluid
whichdampstheenergyandminimisesthemotionwithinthebuilding.
WhydontwedothiswillallbuildingsinNewZealand?
Theproblemwithpuingintheseextraearthquakepreventionschemesisthattheyaddabout5%tothetotalbuildingcost.Whenyou
considerthatTePapacost$300millionNewZealandDollarstobuild,itsnotadecisionthatismadelightly.
WhydidthebuildingsinChristchurchcollapse?
Itstooearlytomakeconclusions,andtherewillbeseveralmonthsofinvestigationsintowhythebuildingscollapsed,howevermanyof
thosebuildingsthatfailedwereolderbuildings.Newlawswerebroughtinaroundthemid1970swhichenforcedbuildingstobeable
withstandspecicearthquakeforces.
ThetwobiggestbuildingcollapsesinChristchurchwerethePyneGouldbuildingandtheCanterburyTVbuilding,bothofwhichwere
builtinthe1960sbeforethetoughearthquakeresistantstandardswerebroughtin.
TheotherfactoristhatthegroundmotionduringtheearthquakeinChristchurchwaswayoverwhatwaspredictedfora1000yearperiod.
MostbuildingsinNewZealandaredesignedfora475yearreturnperiod(IlearnedthisfromProfessorBruceMelvillewhileintheliftthis
morning).
Soeventhoughmanyoftheolderbuildingshadbeenreinforcedtowithstandearthquakes,theywerenotstrengthenedenoughforthe
earthquakethathit.ThisearthquakenotonlyexceededtheforceofanypredictionsthatwouldhitChristchurchinthenext1000years,but
wasalsoonafaultlinethatwasntevenidentiedasbeingatrisk.
ItsasadtimeinNewZealand,andmanyengineeringlessonshavebeenlearned.Fromamaterialsengineerpointofview,weneedtokeep
makingmaterialsthatarestrongerinallforcedirections(tension,compressionandshear)tohelpimprovethesafetyofnewbuildingsand
preventmoretragediesfromoccurring.
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11Comments
Priya
FEBRUARY28,2011AT9:22AM
Thankyouforthisusefulinformation.DoyouknowwhichbuildingsinWellingtonwillnotbeabletowithstandtheearthquake
forces?

Reply
Kerry
MARCH6,2011AT4:02AM
Yeshelpfulbackgroundtothisdisaster.LivinginNapieritisofspecialinterestasmyparentssurvivedthe1931quakehere.
kerryween.wordpress.com

Reply
Jenny
OCTOBER9,2011AT11:20AM
Thankyouveryhelpfulforascienceassignment!

Reply
amara
JANUARY8,2012AT8:30PM
thanksforthisinformationandthiscameinveryhandy.thepicwasprey.

Reply
Laurel
MARCH3,2012AT1:09AM
Helpedalotformyassignmentinscience!!

Reply
Taylah
MAY23,2012AT9:48AM
Thankyouforallofthisgreatinformation,ithashelpedmeproduceagreatassignment!
Alsothepictureswerereallyeasytounderstandandsourceful,sothankyouagain!

Reply
Peter
AUGUST6,2012AT9:56PM
Veryinteresting.IamquiteinterestedinknowingwhichbuildingsinChristchurchperformedthebestatthetimeofthebigjolt,and
whytheydid.Wasthenewsteelandglassartgalleryamongthose?Doyouhaveanyviewsonthat?Inmyviewitwouldbemore
usefulforfutureplanningtofocusonthebeerperformersthanonthesadcases.

Reply
kavitha
SEPTEMBER7,2012AT7:07AM
Thanku.itsveryusefultomydesignproject.

Reply
JohnSmith
JANUARY8,2013AT3:05AM
Thankyousomuch,thiswasveryhelpfulinmyscienceproject.Keepupthegoodwork!

Reply
AutumnMasoa(@AMasoa)
JANUARY23,2014AT7:46PM
thanku

Reply
JayveeDeocampo
MARCH13,2014AT2:50PM
justwhatineedformyresearch..thanks

Reply

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