01-01-2011, 11:53 AM
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What is Earthquake?
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves.
SEISMIC LOADING
Seismic loading means application of an earthquake-generated agitation to a structure. It happens at contact surfaces of a structure either with the ground, or with adjacent structures, or with gravity waves from tsunami.
Seismic loading depends, primarily, on:
Anticipated earthquake's parameters at the site
Geotechnical parameters of the site
Structure's parameters
Characteristics of the anticipated gravity waves from tsunami (if applicable).
Material selection to combat seismic loading
Calculate the dead load of the building using a specific material being used for the structure.
Calculation of the base shear- essentially the total lateral force assumed to be delivered to the base of the building.
HOUSING COMPONENTS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING MATERIALS
The Roof
The roof of your property will be the first part of the house that is damaged. However, if your roof is made from concrete or clay tiles they will respond better in the event of an earthquake. If your roof has been damaged in an earthquake, hire a contractor and specifically request that the roof is repaired or reconstructed out of one of these materials.
House Height
Earthquake research has found that houses with a single storey cope better with the forced shaking which an earthquake will subject your home to. Multi-levels houses can be built to resist earthquakes but they need to be built with reinforced concrete or built on base isolation pads.
