Earthquakes constitute one of the greatest
hazards of life and property on the earth. Due to suddenness of their occurrence,
they are least understood and most dreaded. The earthquake resistant
construction is considered to be very important to mitigate their effects. This
paper presents the brief essentials of earthquake resistant construction and a
few techniques to improve the resistance of building and building materials to
earthquake forces, economically.
In earthquake is the
vibration, sometimes violent to the earth’s surface that follows a release of
energy in the earth’s crust. This energy can be generated by a sudden
dislocation of segments of the crust, by a volcanic eruption or even by a
manmade explosion. The dislocation of the crust causes most destructive
earthquakes. The crust may first bend and then the stresses exceed the strength
of rocks, they break. In the process of breaking, vibrations called seismic
waves are generated. These waves travel outward from the source of the
earthquake along the surface and through the earth at varying speeds depending
on the material through which they move. These waves can cause disasters on the
earth’s surface.
No structure on the
planet can be constructed 100% earthquake proof; only its resistance to
earthquake can be increased. Treatment is required to be given depending on the
zone in which the particular site is located. Earthquake occurred in the recent
past have raised various issues and have forced us to think about the disaster
management. It has become essential to think right from planning stage to
completion stage of a structure to avoid failure or to minimize the loss of
property. Not only this, once the earthquake has occurred and disaster has
taken place; how to use the debris to construct economical houses using this
waste material without affecting their structural stability.
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