The Startup Magazine featured an article in which Pedram Zohrevand shares ways buildings could be protected during a seismic event. In this article, he covers topics such as retrofitting, advanced building materials, and improvements made before or during construction.
Ways to Protect Buildings and People
Pedram Zohrevand, The Startup Mag
Engineers are constantly refining earthquake-safe building standards. One of the most important aspects of an earthquake-safe building design is the foundation. A stable foundation means that the building is less prone to damage.
For each site, professionals need to determine the soil type and look into the ways in which a quake could damage the building. A building foundation should be designed according to these identified seismic effects and forces (specific to each site and building type) in order to withstand these violent quakes.
Another area in which builders develop earthquake safety is the lateral load resisting system and continuous load path. The building must have a robust seismic force-resisting system, such as shear walls, moment frames, and braced frames, as well as a proper connection system between floors, seismic force-resisting system, and foundation. This helps the entire building share the force rather than having the force concentrate in one area. If the structure is not tied together properly, the components will move independently of each other and collapse.
You can read the full article by visiting: http://thestartupmag.com/pedram-zohrevand-discusses-protect-building-seismic-events/