By Keith S
Earthquake retrofitting is a term used in construction engineering which means to make a standing structure resistant to earthquake and other seismic activities. Earthquake retrofitting, also known as seismic retrofitting, is the process in which an existing structure is modified and adapted to brace against earthquake tremors, ground vibrations, motion of the earth and soil shifting in the event of an earthquake. Previously, before modern seismic codes were introduced in 1960s, buildings were constructed without much attention given to details like protection against earthquake damage. Recently, with advanced studies of seismic activity and the toll it takes on buildings, the need for earthquake retrofitting has been well recognized.
It should be understood that there is no such thing as a complete earthquake proof structure. However, with earthquake retrofitting changes can be made within the structure to make it more resilient to ground activity and less prone to damage during a seismic activity. While new buildings these days are constructed with detailed plans and elaborate techniques of earthquake retrofitting, many of the older buildings lack such plans and need to be reinforced to avoid damage to people as well as the building. According to experts, most of the damage caused to buildings during seismic activities is because of side-to-side shaking of the foundation. This can cause the building to slide off its foundation if it is not secured. Or it can even cause the foundation to crack and the building to collapse. In both ways, serious damage would be caused to human life as well as the building, rendering it uninhabitable.
Earthquake retrofitting is done for four basic objectives. The most basic of all objectives is safety of the public. It ensures that the structure will not collapse while it can be safely exited by the residents or the people inside. However, in case of a severe seismic activity the structure might have to be completely replaced. The next objective called structure survivability is to ensure that the structure will endure the earthquake; however, it may require extensive repairs before it can be used again. The next objective, structural functionality, is a high level of earthquake retrofit and usually only requires minor repairs like crack repairs etc. Lastly, structure unaffected is the highest level of earthquake retrofit which is applied to buildings of great historic, political, cultural or economic value. However, as already mentioned above, no structure can be entirely guaranteed to be damage free.
Earthquake retrofitting is carried out to make sure that buildings can stand the stress and strain of a seismic activity. The continuous, and sometimes violent shaking of ground from side to side can take a great deal of toll on buildings. One of the most common techniques of retrofitting is to bolt a building to its foundation. Many a times, the connections between the bottom of a building to that with foundation is inadequate and needs to be reinforced. In this manner, the shaking of the foundation will not cause the building to slide off or collapse. Another common method is strengthening the pony walls or cripple walls. Other techniques include external post-tensioning of the structure, dampers, slosh tanks, active control system and many more.
Earthquake retrofitting is solely the business of a construction engineer. It is performed by a construction professional and anyone who wants to have their house or commercial buildings retrofitted should look into the experience and professional conduct of a proper construction company before hiring them. To read more on the subject see http://www.copperfoundation.com.
It should be understood that there is no such thing as a complete earthquake proof structure. However, with earthquake retrofitting changes can be made within the structure to make it more resilient to ground activity and less prone to damage during a seismic activity. While new buildings these days are constructed with detailed plans and elaborate techniques of earthquake retrofitting, many of the older buildings lack such plans and need to be reinforced to avoid damage to people as well as the building. According to experts, most of the damage caused to buildings during seismic activities is because of side-to-side shaking of the foundation. This can cause the building to slide off its foundation if it is not secured. Or it can even cause the foundation to crack and the building to collapse. In both ways, serious damage would be caused to human life as well as the building, rendering it uninhabitable.
Earthquake retrofitting is done for four basic objectives. The most basic of all objectives is safety of the public. It ensures that the structure will not collapse while it can be safely exited by the residents or the people inside. However, in case of a severe seismic activity the structure might have to be completely replaced. The next objective called structure survivability is to ensure that the structure will endure the earthquake; however, it may require extensive repairs before it can be used again. The next objective, structural functionality, is a high level of earthquake retrofit and usually only requires minor repairs like crack repairs etc. Lastly, structure unaffected is the highest level of earthquake retrofit which is applied to buildings of great historic, political, cultural or economic value. However, as already mentioned above, no structure can be entirely guaranteed to be damage free.
Earthquake retrofitting is carried out to make sure that buildings can stand the stress and strain of a seismic activity. The continuous, and sometimes violent shaking of ground from side to side can take a great deal of toll on buildings. One of the most common techniques of retrofitting is to bolt a building to its foundation. Many a times, the connections between the bottom of a building to that with foundation is inadequate and needs to be reinforced. In this manner, the shaking of the foundation will not cause the building to slide off or collapse. Another common method is strengthening the pony walls or cripple walls. Other techniques include external post-tensioning of the structure, dampers, slosh tanks, active control system and many more.
Earthquake retrofitting is solely the business of a construction engineer. It is performed by a construction professional and anyone who wants to have their house or commercial buildings retrofitted should look into the experience and professional conduct of a proper construction company before hiring them. To read more on the subject see http://www.copperfoundation.com.
Keith has been providing his SEO-Services for about 4 years now. Also he's written a lot about it and also on many different topics, for writing is his passion. You can see Foundation Repair for more articles on the relevant topic or you can visit the website where this topic is being blogged about Earthquake retrofitting
