When looking at old buildings, visible damages are often obvious on its structure. Cracks and crevices are found on the walls surrounding it. Some of these damages are caused by seismic activities. This refers to the ground movements that is caused by earthquakes, frequent shaking of grounds down below either destroys the structure of infrastructure or affects the soil that serves as the base of skyscrapers.
Apartment buildings seismic retrofit is a method that protect an infrastructure from such kind of damages. There have been lots of studies made on structures especially apartment to have it more resistant to hazards. This is not only used to protect from earthquake but as well as cyclones, tornadoes and more.
Several countries that are prone to earthquake are surrounded with tectonic plates all over its location, when a sudden movements occur, the skyscrapers are at stake. Mostly homes or apartments are damaged first because usually the structure of which is not that strong enough to stand against seismic activities or earthquake.
This retrofitting method actually started during the late nineties in few countries like USA and Japan. But, during that period it was not yet well developed and modified. The details were just so basic and often does not promote over all protection. But lot of architects and engineers thought of how improving such method in the longer run.
Techniques overtime did not became stagnant on just one method alone, there has been a lot of experiments to make sure what is best amongst the rest. Like example, strengthening. This method is done by putting cross braces on walls as well as structural walls to improve its capacity to stand against disasters.
These braces hold tight grips of some parts that is considered to be the weakest. In Japan, buildings are often with steel tendons, these are high strength and is has moment resisting capacity. This method is one of the few techniques that was used when the idea of retrofitting started to get acknowledged by different countries. In California, there was actually a bridge that used the same system.
Another strategy of reducing seismic damage is through supplementary damping using base isolation system. The protection basically lies on the element in the base or ground that protects the built house from shaking. This vibration usually is absorbed by the ground so it lessens the shaking towards the top.
Dampers convert the energy it absorbs into heat lessening the acceleration on top parts of an infrastructure. The displacement is also reduced, due to that damages are lesser when using damping method. Dampers are somewhat like shock absorbers.
It is also considered to be a method when materials are made sure to be high capacity in its elements. These components are mostly stiff, that is why it would not be easily affected during soil shaking. When trying to do such method on old building, the changes are not done as a whole but instead the part that has weakest state are the only ones that is improvised.
Apartment buildings seismic retrofit is a method that protect an infrastructure from such kind of damages. There have been lots of studies made on structures especially apartment to have it more resistant to hazards. This is not only used to protect from earthquake but as well as cyclones, tornadoes and more.
Several countries that are prone to earthquake are surrounded with tectonic plates all over its location, when a sudden movements occur, the skyscrapers are at stake. Mostly homes or apartments are damaged first because usually the structure of which is not that strong enough to stand against seismic activities or earthquake.
This retrofitting method actually started during the late nineties in few countries like USA and Japan. But, during that period it was not yet well developed and modified. The details were just so basic and often does not promote over all protection. But lot of architects and engineers thought of how improving such method in the longer run.
Techniques overtime did not became stagnant on just one method alone, there has been a lot of experiments to make sure what is best amongst the rest. Like example, strengthening. This method is done by putting cross braces on walls as well as structural walls to improve its capacity to stand against disasters.
These braces hold tight grips of some parts that is considered to be the weakest. In Japan, buildings are often with steel tendons, these are high strength and is has moment resisting capacity. This method is one of the few techniques that was used when the idea of retrofitting started to get acknowledged by different countries. In California, there was actually a bridge that used the same system.
Another strategy of reducing seismic damage is through supplementary damping using base isolation system. The protection basically lies on the element in the base or ground that protects the built house from shaking. This vibration usually is absorbed by the ground so it lessens the shaking towards the top.
Dampers convert the energy it absorbs into heat lessening the acceleration on top parts of an infrastructure. The displacement is also reduced, due to that damages are lesser when using damping method. Dampers are somewhat like shock absorbers.
It is also considered to be a method when materials are made sure to be high capacity in its elements. These components are mostly stiff, that is why it would not be easily affected during soil shaking. When trying to do such method on old building, the changes are not done as a whole but instead the part that has weakest state are the only ones that is improvised.
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