A newly constructed six storey residential cum commercial building, constructed around one and half

years ago, collapsed like pack of cards.

Building was RCC framed structure .It was located at a location some two km away from
city area limit of PUNE, Maharashtra. Building was designed by a structural design engineering firm
with sufficient practice in and around Pune.
As usual practice, building was designed by an Architect, structurally designed by a
professional structural designer. It was built by a builder. Building was occupied by users from last one
year.
As of today facts noticed are,
1)
It is now said that there was an abandoned stone quarry at building site which was subsequently
refilled with debris and land was reclaimed.
2)
Police authorities have arrested builder, land owner, structural designer and architect is on the
run.
3)
Building had one unauthorized (namely sixth) means unsanctioned but constructed and sold and
occupied floor, RCC design and architectural plans of this floor were structural designer and architect
respectively.
4)
For a week before collapse there were complaints by occupants of the said building to builder
office like ,
a)
Sudden minor width cracks to walls.
b)
Problems to doors while closing the doors
5)
On the night of collapse of building there were big sounds of building cracking, enough big to get
people up from their sleep and even people from adjacent building got up from their sleep and could
VDO record the collapse event on their cell phones. Even after such sound, occupants of the building
could get enough time to get down from sixth floor by using stair, which could prevent any major
human casualties in this collapse. As soon people could get out of building premises, the whole
building collapsed like pack of cards leaving being just hip of debris.
Now Police authorities are investigating on counts such as
1)
No separate soil investigation report and authority was there, whether structural engineer is
competent and proper authority regarding the same.
2)
As per police authorities very sub standard material was used for construction of building and
they are holding structural engineer wholly responsible for use of sub standard material for
construction.
3)
As sixth floor was unauthorized, but it was planned by an architect and designed by RCC
designer police authorities are holding structural engineer also responsible for un authorized
construction.
With all this background I request all SEFIANS to discuss this issue with respect to,
1)
What authority, organizational support does structural engineer have to see use of sub standard
building material in construction.
2)
In normal practice separate soil investigation authorities are seldom appointed forcing structural
engineer to take decision regarding soil investigation. Should this practice be stopped to avoid further
legal complications.
3)
Structural engineer is supposed to provide structural stability certificate .Is it correct to provide
structural stability certificate for a building by a structural engineer, construction of which is carried
out by different agency with very little control over construction practices, material quality.
4)
Wouldnt it be prudent and fare to issue such authenticity certificate by structural engineer
regarding only part of design and drawings and not to engage in responsibility of constriction practices
and material quality which are beyond the authority, control and scope of structural engineer.
5)
How and why should structural engineer should held responsible for the design of a building
which happens to be unauthorized, what authority and control does structural engineer have to see

whether building to be designed is authorized or not.

6)
Now days at many places while issuing occupancy certificate local authorities, municipal
corporations, are demanding structural stability certificate from structural engineer. Structural
stability is very complex subject depends on many points such as,
a)
Relevant (some of which are not updated, earthquake zoning is getting changed after major
earthquake) IS codes, its role mandatory or advisory.
b)
Material quality of important material such as steel which many times comes from small rerolling mills ,quality of ready mixed concrete which also come from small operators over which
structural designer has very little or no control.
c)
Normal construction practices followed by builder .Most of the time construction is carried out
with very little or no engineering expertise. Over which also structural engineer has no direct control.
7) With this scenario why structural engineer should take responsibility of
Stability of building, shouldnt he give certificate regarding only design and
drawings. That too with relevant IS Codes followed.

IS
IS
IS
IS

codes on Retaining
14458 (part -1) - 14458 (part -2) - 14458 (part -3) - -

walls in Hill area are :

Retaining wall for hill area - - selection of type of wall
Retaining wall for hill area - - design of ret wall/breast wall
Retaining wall for hill area - - const. of dry stone wall

Er VM Rajan has given very sane tips for design.

Provide weep holes in the retaining wall with granular media at their back
Mortar for stonewall shall conform to IS 2250 part-1(not seen by me). I think
mortar of 1:5 may be needed ,if tension is permitted to the extent of 1.0Kg/cm2
(in line with BK masonry walls).
It would be better (may be economical too) to break the height into two benches
of 5.0m height with bench width of about 5.0m /or three benches of 3.33m height
each with bench width of 3.5m. Each bench ret wall shall be laid 1.0m /1.5m below
bench lVL which will mak e the lower bench free from surchrge effect of upper
bench base pr. However Live load surcharge of 500 kg/m2 on each bench will
figure in its ret wall design.
best regds
vikramjeet

Dear Safian,
Normally for wall height more than 6.0m, counterfort retaining wall is suitable. RCC or PCC is optimum
design. As the retaining wall is of RR masonry with 10.0m height, the
top width may be kept as minimum width equal to 460mm and bottom width as 0.6 times height of
wall. The rear side may be provide with slope of 1 in 7.5 to 1 in 10. As a thumb rule thickness of wall
is 0.45 sqrt H and base width is 0.45 H. The wall has to be checked for following:
(1) The resultant should lie within middle third rule. There should be no eccentricity at the base i.e
e=eccentricity should be less than B/6.
(2) The wall should be checked for overturning and sliding.
(3) The max. pressure at the bottom should be less than SBC of soil.
Normally 5 to 10% of compression is allowed for tension limit
This is stability problem. Any theory of structure or Applied mechnacis book can be referred. Design of
Masonry structure by Dayarathnam can also be referred.
V.M.RAJAN.
Thank You for your suggestion sir but let me know the IS codes available for the design of stone
retaining wall. The retaining wall surrounds the mahavir temple & they do not want to use the steel
there, i thought the option of going with stones

Structural Concepts in Seismic Design

A: How Buildings Resist Earthquakes
Earthquake forces can act in all directions. Unlike gravity loads that are transferred in a downward
direction, earthquake loads start at the supporting soil and are transmitted to the building. The
horizontal and vertical earthquake forces travel in different load paths and may result in tension, shear
compression, bending or torsion forces. Buildings experience horizontal distortion when subjected to
earthquake motion. When these distortions get large, the damage can be catastrophic. Therefore,
most buildings are designed with lateral-force-resisting systems (or seismic systems), to resist the
effects of earthquake forces. In many cases seismic systems make a building stiffer against horizontal
forces, and thus minimize the amount of relative lateral movement and consequently the damage.
Seismic systems are usually designed to resist only forces that result from horizontal ground motion,
as distinct from vertical ground motion.
The combined action of seismic systems along the width and length of a building can typically resist
earthquake motion from any direction. Seismic systems differ from building to building because the
type of system is controlled to some extent by the basic layout and structural elements of the building.
Basically, seismic systems consist of axial-, shear- and bending-resistant elements.
In wood-frame, stud-wall buildings, plywood siding is typically used to prevent excessive lateral
deflection in the plane of the wall. Without the extra strength provided by the plywood, walls would
distort excessively or rack, resulting in broken windows and stuck doors. In older wood frame
houses, this resistance to lateral loads is provided by either wood or steel diagonal bracing.
The earthquake-resisting systems in modern steel buildings take many forms. In moment-resisting
steel frames, the connections between the beams and the columns are designed to resist the rotation
of the column relative to the beam. Thus, the beam and the column work together and resist lateral
movement and lateral displacement by bending. Steel frames sometimes include diagonal bracing
configurations, such as single diagonal braces, cross-bracing and K-bracing. In braced frames,
horizontal loads are resisted through tension and compression forces in the braces with resulting
changed forces in the beams and columns. Steel buildings are sometimes constructed with momentresistant frames in one direction and braced frames in the other.
In concrete structures, shear walls are sometimes used to provide lateral resistance in the plane of the
wall, in addition to moment-resisting frames. Ideally, these shear walls are continuous reinforcedconcrete walls extending from the foundation to the roof of the building. They can be exterior walls or
interior walls. They are interconnected with the rest of the concrete frame, and thus resist the
horizontal motion of one floor relative to another. Shear walls can also be constructed of reinforced
masonry, using bricks or concrete blocks.
How a building performs in an earthquake depends upon a few key building characteristics described
below:
B: Structural Building Elements The structural elements of a building that comprise the 'skeleton'
supporting the rest of the building, includes the foundation, load-bearing walls, beams, columns, floor
system and roof system, as well as the connections between these elements. To carry its own weight
("dead load"), live loads, and wind and earthquake forces the building elements and connections are

subjected to tension, compression, shear, bending, and torsion. Buildings are primarily designed to
resist vertical forces from gravity. The roof and floor systems carry these vertical forces to the
supporting beams. The beams carry the forces to the columns and bearing walls, which then carry the
forces down to the foundation and the supporting soil. This process of carrying forces from the roof
down to the soil is known as a load path. The failure of any building element or connection along the
load path can lead to building damage or collapse.
C: Building Materials and Systems Performance Characteristics

Ductility. Under normal conditions, a building experiences elastic deformations, deforming as

force is applied and returning to its original shape when removed. However, extreme
earthquake forces may generate inelastic deformations in which the element does not return
to its original shape after the force is removed. Ductility is the property of certain elements
that have inelastic deformation before failing. Building elements constructed with ductile
materials have a "reserve capacity" to resist earthquake overloads. Therefore, buildings
constructed of ductile elements, such as steel and adequately reinforced concrete, tend to
withstand earthquakes much better than those constructed of brittle materials such as
unreinforced masonry.

Strength and Stiffness. Strength is the property of an element to resist force. Stiffness is
the property of an element to resist displacement. When two elements of different stiffnesses
are forced to deflect the same amount, the stiffer element will carry more of the total force
because it takes more force to deflect it. When stiff concrete and masonry elements are
combined with more flexible steel or wood elements, the concrete and masonry take more of
the total force.

Bracing/Seismic Resistant Components. Four basic components provide seismic

resistance against lateral forces (Figure 3):
Quote:

Braced frames consist of beams, columns, and stiff diagonal braces that perform like
shear walls, but use less material.

Moment resistant frames (generally of steel or reinforced concrete) consist of beams

connected to one or more columns to carry multi-dimensional earthquake forces.

Horizontal Diaphragms are floor and roof deck systems that carry forces across the
building to shear walls, braced frames, and/or columns.

Shear walls are large structural walls placed in a building to carry forces from the roof
and floor systems to the supporting foundation, and into the soils.

Cross walls are interior walls and partitions that are not necessarily continuous to the
foundations, but which are attached securely to two floor diaphragms (the top side of a
floor diaphragm to the underside of the floor above) and that are stiff and strong
enough to resist the independent movement of the two connected diaphragms.

Connections. Strong building connections allow forces and displacements to be transferred

between vertical and horizontal building elements. In addition, strong connections increase the
overall structural building strength and stiffness by allowing all of the building elements to act
together as a unit. Inadequate connections represent a weak link in the load path of the
building and are a common cause of earthquake building damage and collapse.

Damping. When a tuning fork strikes a surface, it vibrates back and forth at a certain rate this rate is known as its fundamental period. All objects, including buildings, have their own
unique fundamental period of vibration. Ground shaking from an earthquake will cause
vibrations in a building. If the ground shaking matches the fundamental period of the building,
the building will resonate with the earthquake, causing the building vibrations to greatly
increase. This can lead to extensive building damage. "Damping" diminishes this resonance by
pulling the energy out of the system as heat - in the way that a shock absorber in a car
dampens a car's vibrations from bumps in the road. Damping is imparted to a building by the
cracking and inelastic movement of its structural elements, and it can also be deliberately
added by installing shock absorber-like devices into the building's structure. In the first case,
"controlled" damage at the onset of shaking can reduce the likelihood of catastrophic damage
as the shaking intensifies, and in the second case, the damping devices work like vehicle
shock absorbers to reduce the response of the structure to a level below that at which postelastic behavior (and thus damage) will occur.

Weight Distribution. Buildings that are wide at their base and have most of their weight
distributed to their lowest floors generally fare better in earthquakes than tall, top- heavy
buildings which act like an inverted pendulum. Inverted pendulum buildings usually experience
greater displacements than those shorter and heavier near the base.

Building Configuration. Square or rectangular buildings with floor plans with symmetrically
place lateral force resisting elements tend to perform better in earthquakes than buildings
composed of irregular shapes or 'those with large foyers or lobbies that create a soft story
condition. Buildings with irregular shapes cannot distribute lateral forces evenly, resulting in
torsional response that can increase damage at key points in the building.

Foundation / Soil Characteristics. The underlying geology of the site can also have a
significant effect on the amplitude of the ground motion there. Soft, loose soils tend to amplify
the ground motion and in many cases a resonance effect can make it last longer. In such
circumstances, building damage can be accentuated. In the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906,
damage was greater in the areas where buildings were constructed on loose, natural and
manmade fill and less at the tops of the rocky hills. Even more dramatic was the 1985 Mexico
City earthquake. This earthquake occurred 250 miles from the city, but very soft soils beneath
the city amplified the ground shaking enough to cause weak mid-rise buildings to collapse (see
Figure F-5). Resonance (see below) of the building frequency with the amplified ground
shaking frequency played a significant role.
Quote:
Sites with rock close to or at the surface will be less likely to amplify motion, and with such
sites, generally, the farther from the source of an earthquake, the less severe the motion. The
type of motion felt also changes with distance from the earthquake. Close to the source the

motion tends to be violent rapid shaking, whereas farther away the motion is normally more of a
swaying nature. Buildings will respond differently to the rapid shaking than to the swaying
motion.. Buildings can be severely damaged when the soils that support the building foundations
shift, sink, slide, or liquefy. Optimally, structures should not be located in areas with poor site
conditions.

Resonance. Resonance was a major problem in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, in which
the total collapse of many mid-rise buildings (Figure F-5) caused many fatalities. Tall buildings
at large distances from the earthquake source have a small, but finite, probability of being
subjected to ground motions containing frequencies that can cause resonance. Where taller,
more flexible, buildings are susceptible to distant earthquakes (swaying motion) shorter and
stiffer buildings are more susceptible to nearby earthquakes (rapid shaking).

Redundancy. It is very beneficial for a rehabilitated lateral-force-resisting system to have an

appropriate level of redundancy, so that any localized failure of a few elements of the system will not
result in local collapse or instability. This should be considered when developing rehabilitation designs.
Dr.N.Subramanian,Ph.D.,F.ASCE, M.ACI,