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
| Jan 30, 2012
Roofer’s fatal plunge demonstrates need for fall-prevention regulations
“The biggest problem is getting our workers to use the equipment,” says Michael J. Florio, executive director of the organization.
| Jan 26, 2012
Tampa moves to streamlined online permitting system
The system will replace an inefficient patchwork of old software and is designed to provide businesses, homeowners, and contractors with online access to permitting and licensing information.
| Jan 26, 2012
EPA to collect more data, seek comments before finalizing mud rule
The EPA says it will seek more data and is accepting comments until March 5.
| Jan 26, 2012
Industry challenges Connecticut's suit over defective construction work
The dispute arose over multimillion-dollar leaks at the University of Connecticut's law library.
| Jan 26, 2012
Earthquake 'fuse' could save buildings during temblors
The idea is to use an earthquake "fuse" that can prevent the tiny fractures and warps that make structures unsafe after a quake and very expensive to repair.
| Jan 26, 2012
HPD open materials standard for green building materials gains momentum
GreenWizard, provider of a cloud-based product management and project collaboration software, is the latest industry participant to sign on
| Jan 26, 2012
Siemens launches smoke detection knowledge center
New knowledge center web site demonstrates efficacy of smoke detection.
| Jan 18, 2012
Chile's seismic code upgrades credited with saving lives in 2010 quake
Since 1960, when Chile suffered a 9.5 magnitude quake, the largest ever recorded; the country has steadily improved building codes to protect lives and property.
| Jan 18, 2012
Report analyzes residential hurricane codes in 18 states
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) released a new report analyzing residential building codes in 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast.
| Jan 18, 2012
Death in Chicago high-rise apartment fire blamed on fire code
The death of a Chicago woman who stepped off her elevator into a blazing inferno last week has underscored the need for fire sensors in elevators.