Research at Case Western Reserve University has found that buildings that rock during an earthquake and return to plumb would withstand seismic shaking better than structural designs commonly used today in vulnerable zones of California and elsewhere.
Those buildings would also be more easily and cheaply repaired and could be put back into use faster, said Michael Pollino, an assistant civil engineering professor at Case School of Engineering. The computer model research suggests optimal sizes for damping devices and steel yielding devices that dissipate the energy of a quake.
Pollino’s model compares rocking steel-braced frames to current earthquake standards used in low- to mid-rise buildings. "Currently, engineers are designing low-rise structures for an earthquake that has a 10% chance of occurring in a 50-year-lifetime," Pollino said. "We accept there will be damage, but no collapse or loss of life. But what about an event that has a 50% chance of occurring? You may still have to tear the building down afterward.”
Pollino and other researchers are finding advantages to the design, which has not yet made it into practice. He and colleagues are discussing forming a technical committee of civil engineers that would advance the technology into practice. Pollino is now applying for funding to begin physically testing designs in the university's structures laboratory.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Nov 18, 2016
Mahesh Ramanujam takes reins as U.S. Green Building Council President and CEO
Ramanujam brings his tech and business consulting background to the post.
Codes and Standards | Nov 18, 2016
Canada GBC launching Zero Carbon Buildings Initiative
First step toward Zero Carbon Building Standard.
Codes and Standards | Nov 17, 2016
Santa Monica, Calif., passes historic net-zero ordinance
Includes more stringent commercial, multifamily building standards.
Codes and Standards | Nov 14, 2016
Six more states approve legal marijuana, creating opportunities for developers
Federal prohibition complicates the picture.
Codes and Standards | Nov 14, 2016
Los Angeles voters approve billions to tackle traffic and homelessness
The approved measures will create new rail lines and permanent housing.
Codes and Standards | Nov 9, 2016
NRMCA updates environmental impacts of concrete
The EPD now includes 88 companies, 72 mixes.
Codes and Standards | Nov 9, 2016
Louisiana flood projections require urgent action, officials say
The 'no net loss’ prediction now seems unrealistic.
Codes and Standards | Nov 8, 2016
American Concrete Institute offers new guide for repair of concrete buildings
The guide provides assistance on assessment and rehab.
Codes and Standards | Nov 7, 2016
The AISC prequalified seismic moment connection standard is now available
You can download the 2016 version for free.
Codes and Standards | Nov 4, 2016
Obama Administration makes a push for denser, more affordable cities
The administration calls for zoning code changes and other measures to create more housing.
