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06 Earth - Quake - Tips
06 Earth - Quake - Tips
EARTHQUAKE TIP
Learning Earthquake Design and Construction
"a.
h
V. R. MURTY
EARTHQUAKE TIPS
Learning Earthquake Design and Construction
C. V. R. MURTY
-,•.*.•:;•. yvWit^M^^ywwiii'iN'v^H^^
September 2005
PREFACE
The Republic Day earthquake of 26 January 2001 in Gujarat clearly demonstrated the earthquake
vulnerability profile of our country. It created a considerable interest amongst the professionals
associated with construction activities in any form, as well as the non-professionals regarding the
earthquake safety issues. While the subject of earthquake engineering has its own sophistication and a lot
of new research is being conducted in this very important subject, it is also important to widely
disseminate the basic concepts of earthquake resistant constructions through simple language. With this
objective, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) and the Building Materials and Technology
Promotion Council (BMTPC), a constituent of the Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation,
Government of India, launched the IITK-BMTPC Series on Earthquake Tips in early 2002. Professor C. V. R.
Murty was requested to take up the daunting task of expressing difficult concepts in very simple
language, which he has very ably done.
This publication, containing all the 24 Tips, is targeted at persons interested in building
construction. The Tips cover topics such as basic introduction to earthquakes and terminology such as
magnitude and intensity, concepts of earthquake resistant design, and aspects of a seismic design and
construction of buildings. Utmost care is taken to ensure that despite complexity of the concepts, the Tips
are simple and unambiguous. To ensure the highest quality of technical contents, ever)' Tip is carefully
reviewed by two or more experts, both within and outside India and thru feedback is used before
finalizing the Tips.
The Tips are released for publication to all interested journals, magazines, and newspapers. The
Tips are also placed at the web site of the National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering (NICEE)
(www.nieee.org) and Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) (wano.bmtpc.org). The
project has succeeded way beyond our own expectations: a large number of journals of architecture,
construction and structural engineering, and many prestigious newspapers have published some or all
the Tips.
Seeing the interest of the readers in the Tips, we are happy to place all the twenty four Tips in this
single cover for facilitating their usage. We are grateful to Professor C. V. R. Murty for the dedication
with which he worked on this project. We also take this opportunity to thank the numerous reviewers
who have willingly spent time in reviewing the Tips. But, a special mention may be made here for Ms.
Alpa R. Sheth of Mumbai and Professor Svetlana N. Brzev of Vancouver (Canada), who have reviewed
very substantial number of these Tips. Finally, we must thank numerous newspapers, journals and
magazines who came forward to publish these Tips, at times making an exception to their editorial policy
on exclusivity.
Development of the Tips was financially supported by the BMTPC New Delhi. Financial support
for this reprint and dissemination was provided by the National Programme on Earthquake Engineering
Education (jmow.nicee.org/hpeee) and the Joan and Haresh Shah family funds, respectively, which is
gratefully acknowledged.
We hope that the readers will find the Tips useful when constructing buildings in earthquake
prone areas and will consult the expert for finalising their design and construction details. We welcome
comments and suggestions; please email to nicee@iitk.ac.iii.
Sudhir K. Jain
Coordinator, National Information Center of Earthquake Engineering &
Professor of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Kanpur208016
September 2005
UST OF REVIEWERS
We are grateful to the following experts who reviewed one or more Earthquake
Tip and made valuable feedback.
Preface
List of Reviewers
Figure 5:
Elastic Strain Build-Up
Figure 7: Type of Faults J
Sla ;e C and Brittle Rupture
Reading Material
BolLB.A., (1999), Earthquakes, Fourth Edition, W. H. Freeman and
Company, New York, USA
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/
y -g~ http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/general/handouts/
general_seismicity.html
http:// www.fema.gov/ kids/quakeJitm
Authored by:
R.Murtv
O .- Lt. t Time Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
„ a c (years) Kanpur, India
$ Energy
» Strength Build-Up JD Sponsored by:
5> i? jrSl Energy Building Materials and Technology Promotion
Council, New Delhi, India
f Structure
Surface Waves
Rayleigh Waves
Elliptic in vertical plane
Figure 2:
Motions caused by Body and Surface Waves
(Adapted from FEMA 99, Non-Technical
Figure 1: Arrival of Seismic Waves at a Site Explanation of the NEHRP Recommended
Provisions)
Basic Geography and Tectonic Features across the central part of peninsular India leaving
India lies at the northwestern end of the Indo- layers of basalt rock. Coastal areas like Kachchh show
Australian Plate, which encompasses India, Australia, a marine deposits testifying to submergence under the
major portion of the Indian Ocean and other smaller sea millions of years ago.
countries. This plate is colliding against the huge Prominent Past Earthquakes in India
Eurasian Piute (Figure 1) and going under the Eurasian A number of significant earthquakes occurred in
Plate; this process of one tectonic plate getting under and around India over the past century (Figure 2).
another is called subditclion. A sea, Tetln/s, separated Some of these occurred in populated and urbanized
these plates before they collided. Part of the areas and hence caused great damage. Many went
lithosphere, the Earth's Crust, is covered by oceans unnoticed, as they occurred deep under the Earth's
and the rest by the continents. The former can undergo surface or in relatively un-inhabited places. Some of
subduction at great depths when it converges against the damaging and recent earthquakes are listed in
another plate, but the latter is buoyant and so tends to Table 1. Most earthquakes occur along the Himalayan
remain close to the surface. When continents converge, plate boundary (these are inter-plate earthquakes), but
large amounts of shortening and thickening takes a number of earthquakes have also occurred in the
place, like at the Himalayas and the Tibet. peninsular region (these are intra-plate earthquakes).
Three chief tectonic sub-regions of India are the Four Great earthquakes (M>8) occurred in a span
mighty Himalayas along the north, the plains of the of 53 years from 1897 to 1950; the January 2001 Bhuj
Ganges and other rivers, and the peninsula. The earthquake (M7.7) is almost as large. Each of these
Himalayas consist primarily of sediments accumulated caused disasters, but also allowed us to learn about
over long geological time in the Tethys. The Indo- earthquakes and to advance earthquake engineering.
Gangetic basin with deep alluvium is a great For instance, 1819 Cutch Earthquake produced an
depression caused by the load of the Himalayas on the unprecedented ~3m high uplift of the ground over
continent. The peninsular part of the country consists WOkm (called Allah Bund). The 1897 Assam Earthquake
of ancient rocks deformed in the past Himalayan-like caused severe damage up to 500km radial distances;
collisions. Erosion has exposed the roots of the old the type of damage sustained led to improvements in
mountains and removed most of the topography. The the intensity scale from I-X to I-XII. Extensive
rocks are very hard, but are softened by weathering liquefaction of the ground took place over a length of
near the surface. Before the Himalayan collision, 300km (called the Slump Belt) during 1934 Bihar-Nepal
several tens of millions of years ago, lava flowed earthquake in which many structures went afloat.
• 7
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 4
Where are the Seismic Zones in India? page 2
Table 1: Some Past Earthquakes in India 1967 and again in 1970. The map has been revised
Dale Event Time Magnitude
Max.
Deaths again in 2002 (Figure 4), and it now has only four
Intensity
16 June 1819 Cutci IlMKI 8.3 VIII
seismic zones - II, III, IV and V. The areas falling in
1.500
12 June 1897 AsS.llll 17:11 8.7 XII 1,500 seismic zone I in the 1970 version of the map are
8 Feb. 1900 Coimbatore 03:11 6.0 X Nil merged with those of seismic zone II. Also, the seismic
4 Apr. 1905 Kangra 06:20 8.6 X 19,000 zone map in the peninsular region has been modified.
15 Jan. 1934 Bihar-Nepal 14:13 8.4 X 11,000 Madras now comes in seismic zone III as against in
31 Max 1935 Quetta 03:03 7.6 X 10,000 zone II in the 1970 version of the map. This 2002
15 Aug 1950 Assam 19:31 8.5 X 1,530
seismic zone map is not the final word on the seismic
21 Jul. 1956 JAnjar 21:02 7.0 IX 115
hazard of the country, and hence there can be no sense
10 Dec 1967 JKovna 04:30 6.5 VIII 200
23 Mar 1970 Bharuch 20:56 5.4 VII 30
of complacency in this regard.
21 Aug 19881 Bihar-Nepal 04:39 6.6 IX 1,004
20Oct 1991 luttarkashi 02:53 6.6 IX 768
30 Sep 1993 •Killari (Latur) 03:53 6.4 IX 7.928
22 Mav 1997 Jabalpur 04:22 6.0 VIII 38
29 Mar 1999 Chamoh 12:35 6.6 VIII 63
26 Jan. 2001 Bhuj 08:46 7.7 X 13,805
The tirr ing of the ^;arthimake duri ng the c ay anc
during the year critically determines the number of
casualties. Casualties are expected to be high for
earthquakes that strike during cold winter nights,
when most of the population is indoors.
Seismic Zones of India
The varying geology at different locations in the
country implies that the likelihood of damaging
earthquakes taking place at different locations is
different. Thus, a seismic zone map is required to
identify these regions. Based on the levels of intensities
sustained during damaging past earthquakes, the 1970 Figure 4: Indian Seismic Zone Map as per
version of the zone map subdivided India into five IS: 1893 (Part 1)-2002
zones - I, II, III, rV and V (Figure 3). The maximum .
Modified Mercalli (MM) intensity of seismic shaking The national Seismic Zone Map presents a large-
expected in these zones were V or less, VI, VII, VIII, scale view of the seismic zones in the country. Local
and IX and higher, respectively. Parts of Himalayan variations in soil type and geology cannot be
boundary in the north and northeast, and the Kachchh represented at that scale. Therefore, for important
area in the west were classified as zone V. projects, such as a major dam or a nuclear power plant,
the seismic hazard is evaluated specifically for that
site. Also, for the purposes of urban planning,
metropolitan areas are microzoned. Seismic
microzonation accounts for local variations in geology,
local soil profile, etc,.
Resource Material
BMTPC, (1997), Vulnerability Atlas of India, Building Materials and
Technology Promotion Council, Ministry of Urban Development,
Government of India, New Delhi
Dasgupta,S., et al, (2000), Seismotectonic Atlas of Imiian and its
Environs, Geological Survey of India
IS:1893, (1984), Indian Standard Criteria for Earthquake Resistant
Design of Structures, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi
Authored by.
CV.R.Murty
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Kanpur, India
Sponsored by:
Building Materials and Technology Promotion
Council, New Delhi, India
The seismic zone maps are revised from time to
time as more understanding is gained on the geology, This release is a property of IIT Kanpur and BMTPC New
the seismotectonics and the seismic activity in the Delhi. It may be reproduced without changing its contents
and with due acknowledgement. Suggestions/comments
country. The Indian Standards provided the first may be sent to: nicee(aiitk.ac.in. Visit www.nicee.org or
seismic zone map in 1962, which was later revised in .>. u ,\ bmtpc.org.tosee previous IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tips.
July 2002: August 2004
8
Learning
HTK - bmlPC Earthquake Design
Earthquake Tip and
Construction
Inertia Forces in Structures would like to come back to the straight vertical
Earthquake causes shaking of the ground. So a position, i.e., columns resist deformations. In the
building resting on it will experience motion at its straight vertical position, the columns carry no
base. From Newton's First Lino of Motion, even though horizontal earthquake force through them. But, when
the base of the building moves with the ground, the forced to bend, they develop internal forces. The larger
roof has a tendency to stay in its original position. But is the relative horizontal displacement u between the
since the walls and columns are connected to it, they top and bottom of the column, the larger this inlernal
drag the roof along with them. This is much like the force in columns. Also, the stiffer the columns are (i.e.,
situation that you are faced with 'when the bus you are bigger is the column size), larger is this force. For this
standing in suddenly starts; yourfeet move with the bus, reason, these internal forces in the columns are called
but your upper body tends to stay back making you fall stiffness forces. In fact, the stiffness force in a column is
backwards!! This tendency to continue to remain in the the column stiffness times the relative displacement
previous position is known as inertia. In the building, between its ends.
since the walls or columns are flexible, the motion of
Inertia Force
the roof is different from that of the ground (Figure1).
III
Roof
\\
Column
Foundation
Inertia Forces
Resource Material
Chopra.A.K., (1980), Dynamics of Structures - A Primer, EERI
Monograph, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, USA
Earthquake Shaking
Authored by:
Figure 4: Flow of seismic inertia forces through C.V.R.MuiU
all structural components. Indian Instituteof lechnology Kanpur
Kanpur, India
Walls or columns are the most critical elements in Sponsored by:
transferring the inertia forces. But, in traditional Building Materials and Technology Promotion
construction, floor slabs and beams receive more care Council, New Delhi. India
and attention during design and construction, than
walls and columns. Walls are relatively thin and often This release is a property of IIT Kanpur and BMTPC New
Delhi. It may be reproduced without changing its contents
made of brittle material like masonry. They are poor in and with due acknowledgement. Suggestions/comments
carrying horizontal earthquake inertia forces along the may be sent to: nicee(uiitk.ac.in. Visit www.nicee.org or
direction of their thickness. Failures of masonry walls www.bmtpc.org. lo seeprevious IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tips
August 2002
10
IITK - bnflpc
Earthquake Tip
^ H-
foundation. Buildings, in which these walls do not go *>
"W •••
•
, •
all the way to the ground but stop at an upper level,
are liable to get severely damaged during earthquakes. r ".
, •
>
'
**
1 . ,
p TV
'•
DODDDDDODU
DDDDDDDDDD Figure 4: Pounding can occur between adjoining
DDDDODDODD
OOOOODDDOO buildings due to horizontal vibrations of the
two buildings.
(a) Setbacks
Building Design and Codes...
Looking ahead, of course, one will continue to
make buildings interesting rather than monotonous.
D However, this need not be done at the cost of poor
• ••• I Unusually behaviour and earthquake safety of buildings.
DDDD m Tall
Architectural features that are detrimental to
Storey
nana earthquake response of buildings should be avoided. If
not, they must be minimised. When irregular features
are included in buildings, a considerably higher level
(b) Weak or Flexible Storey of engineering effort is required in the structural
design and yet the building may not be as good as one
with simple architectural features.
Decisions made at the planning stage on building
configuration are more important, or are known to
have made greater difference, than accurate
determination of code specified design forces.
1
Resource Material
JLH Amold.C. and Reitherman.R., (1982), Building Configuration and
Seismic Design, John Wiley, USA
(c) Slopy Ground (d) Hanging or Floating Columns Lagorio.HJ, (1990), EARTHQUAKES An Architect's Guide to Non-
Structural Seismic Hazard, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., USA
Reinforced
(i Authored by:
Concrete Wall C.V.R.Murty
Discontinued in
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Ground Storey
Kanpur, India
TT Sponsored by:
r r i Building Materials and Technology Promotion
(e) Discontinuing Structural Members Council, New Delhi, India
^s^_/
-:S:y:y:y:S:y:y:y:y:y:y:y:y:y:y:y:y:y:y:::----
--.••.••.••.•.•.••.••.•
Thus, if you see from sky, a building with identical Heavy Side
vertical members and that are uniformly placed in the
two horizontal directions, when shaken at its base in a
certain direction, swings back and forth such that all
Earthquake
Ground Shaking
f
Figure 3: Even if vertical members are placed
of Building
TT TT TT TT
t
• D •
D
Earthquake
Earthquake .£>«
..., •:•"
Ground iUl
Ground
Movement -D.
Movement
Wall
Resource Material
Arnold.C, and Reitherman.R., (1982), Building Configuration and
Seismic Design,John Wiley, USA
Lagorio.HJ, (1990), EARTHQUAKES An Architect's Guide to Non-
Structural Seismic Hazard. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., USA
Wall Next Upcoming Tip
What is the Seismic Design Philosophy for Buildings?
Beam
Beam^ Columns Authored by:
(c) Buildings with walls on two/one sides (in plan) C.V.R.Murtv
Figure 4: Buildings have unequal vertical Indian Instituted Irchnology Kanpur
members; they cause the building to twist Kanpur, India
about a vertical axis. Sponsored by:
Building Materials and Technology Promotion
Buildings that are irregular shapes in plan tend to Council, New Delhi, India
twist under earthquake shaking. For example, in a
This release is a property of ITT Kanpur and BMTPC New
propped overhanging building (Figure 5), the Delhi. It may be reproduced without changing its contents
overhanging portion swings on the relatively slender and with due acknowledgement. Suggestions/comments
columns under it. The floors twist and displace may be sent to: niceeiaiitk.ac.in. Visit www.nicee.urg or
wtvw.bmlpc.org. to seeprevious IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tips.
horizontally. October 2002; September 2005
14
Learning
HTK - bmlc Earthquake Design
Earthquake Tip and
Construction
15
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 8
What is the Seismic Design Philosophy for Buildings? page 2
damage is unavoidable. Different types of damage factors affecting the building performance. Thus,
(mainly visualized though cracks; especially so in earthquake-resistant design strives to predetermine
concrete and masonry buildings) occur in buildings the locations where damage takes place and then to
during earthquakes. Some of these cracks are provide good detailing at these locations to ensure
acceptable (in terms of both their size and location), ductile behaviour of the building.
while others are not. For instance, in a reinforced
concrete frame building with masonry filler walls Ductile
between columns, the cracks between vertical columns Performpnc^
and masonry filler walls are acceptable, but diagonal
cracks running through the columns are not (Figure 2).
In general, qualified technical professionals are
knowledgeable of the causes and severity of damage Brittle
in earthquake-resistant buildings. Collapse
17
Horizontal Movement of Roof of Building
relative to its base
sacrifice some small parts of the electrical circuit, called Figure 3: Ductile and brittle structures - seismic
fuses; these fuses are easily replaced after the electrical over- design attempts to avoid structures of the latter
kind.
current. Likewise, to save the building from collapsing,
you need to allow some pre-determined parts to Resource Material
undergo the acceptable type and level of damage. Naeim.F., Ed., (2001), The Seismic Design Handbook, Kluwer Academic
Acceptable Damage: Ductility Publishers, USA
Ambrose,J., and Vergun.D., (1999), Designfor Earthquakes, John Wiley
So, the task now is to identify acceptable forms of & Sons, Inc., USA
damage and desirable building behaviour during
Next Upcoming Tip
earthquakes. To do this, let us first understand how How to make buildings ductile for good seismic performance?
different materials behave. Consider white chalk used
to write on blackboards and steelpins with solid heads Authored by:
used to hold sheets of paper together. Yes... a chalk C.V.R.Mum
breaks easily'.'. On the contrary, a steel pin allows it to be Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
bent back-and-forth. Engineers define the property that Kanpur, India
allows steel pins to bend back-and-forth by large Sponsored by:
amounts, as ductility; chalk is a brittle material. Building Materials and Technology Promotion
Earthquake-resistant buildings, particularly their Council. New Delhi, India
main elements, need to be built with ductility in them.
This release is a property of IIT Kanpur and BMTPC New
Such buildings have the ability to sway back-and-forth
Delhi. It may be reproduced without changing its contents
during an earthquake, and to withstand earthquake and with due acknowledgement. Suggestions/comments
effects with some damage, but without collapse may be sent to: nicee(aiitk.ac.in. Visit www.nicee.org or
(Figure 3). Ductility is one of the most important www.bmtpc.org. to seeprevious IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tips.
November 2002
16
IITK - bmfc
Earthquake Tip
Strong
18
IITK - brnlpc
Earthquake Tip
Large
Concrete Gravity Dam:
O.Bsec
mymmmmmmm^^^^^M
(a) Building pulled with a rope tied at its roof
Root
Displacement
Short 20
I
Period Time
Wave
f. 10
Wave r^7
' long Flexible buildings undergo larger relative
horizontal displacements, which may result in damage
Figure 3: Strong Earthquake Ground Motion is to various nonstructural building components and the
transmitted by waves of different periods. contents. For example, some items in buildings, like
- glass windows, cannot take large lateral movements,
In a typical city, there are buildings of many and are therefore damaged severely or crushed.
different sizes and shapes. One way of categorizing Unsecured shelves might topple, especially at upper
them is by their fundamental natural period T. The stories of multi-storey buildings. These damages may
ground motion under these buildings varies across the not affect safety of buildings, but may cause economic
city (Figure 4a). If the ground is shaken back-and-forth losses, injuries and panic among its residents.
by earthquake waves that hJRre short periods, then Related IITK-blfiTPC Tip
short period buildings will have large response. IITK-BMTPC Earthquake lip 2: time the Ground Shakes?
Similarly, if the earthquake ground motion has long IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 5: What are the Seismic Effects on
period waves, then long period buildings will have Structures?
20
Learning
HTK - hlnlPC Earthquake Design
Earthquake Tip and
Const ruction
Importance of Seismic Design Codes IS 13935, 1993, Indian Standard Guidelines for Repair and
Ground vibrations during earthquakes cause SeismicStrengthening of Buildings
forces and deformations in structures. Structures need The regulations in these standards do not ensure
to be designed to withstand such forces and that structures suffer no damage during earthquake of
deformations. Seismic codes help to improve the all magnitudes. But, to the extent possible, they ensure
behaviour of structures so that they may withstand the that structures are able to respond to earthquake
earthquake effects without significant loss of life and shakings of moderate intensities without structural
property. Countries around the world have damage and of heavy intensities without total collapse.
procedures outlined in seismic codes to help design
IS 1893
engineers in the planning, designing, detailing and IS 1893 is the main code that provides the seismic
constructing of structures. An earthquake-resistant
zone map (Figure 1) and specifies seismic design force.
building has four virtues in it, namely:
This force depends on the mass and seismic coefficient
(a) Good Structural Configuration: Its size, shape and
of the structure; the latter in turn depends on
structural system carrying loads are such that they
properties like seismic zone in which structure lies,
ensure a direct and smooth flow of inertia forces to
importance of the structure, its stiffness, the soil on
the ground. which it rests, and its ductility. For example, a
(b) Lateral Strength: The maximum lateral (horizontal)
building in Bhuj will have 2.25 times the seismic
force that it can resist is such that the damage
design force of an identical building in Bombay.
induced in it does not result in collapse. Similarly, the seismic coefficient for a single-storey
(c) Adequate Stiffness: Its lateral load resisting system is
building may have 2.5 times that of a 15-storey
such that the earthquake-induced deformations in
building.
it do not damage its contents under low-to-
moderate shaking.
(d)G(H>d Ductility: Its capacity to undergo large
deformations under severe earthquake shaking
even after yielding, is improved by favourable
design and detailing strategies.
Seismic codes cover all these aspects.
mortars, like clay-mud. These standards are applicable IS 456, (2000), Indian Standard Code of Practicefor Plain and Reinforced
Concrete, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi.
in seismic zones III, IV and V. Constructions based on SP 22 (S&T), (1982), Explanatory Handbook on Codes for Earthquakes
them are termed non-engineered, and are not totally Engineering - IS 1893:1975 and IS 4326:1976, Bureau of Indian
free from collapse under seismic shaking intensities Standards. New Delhi
22
htk - am
Earthquake Tip
Toppling
Pushed perpendicular
to the plane of the wall ^•'Direction ol
earthquake
Direction ol
shaking
23
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 12
How do brick masonry houses behave during earthquakes? V^2
How to Improve Behaviour of Masonry Walls Choice and Quality of Building Materials
Masonry walls are slender because of their small Earthquake performance of a masonrv wall is very
thickness compared to their height and length. A sensitive to the properties of its constituents, namely
simple way of making these walls behave well during masonry units and mortar. The properties of these
earthquake shaking is by making them act together as materials vary across India due to variation in raw
a box along with the roof at the top and with the materials and construction methods. A variety of
foundation at the bottom. A number of construction masonry units are used in the country, e.g., clay bricks
aspects are required to ensure this box action. Firstly, (burnt and unburnt), concrete blocks (solid and
connections between the walls should be good, this hollow), stone blocks. Burnt clay bricks are most
can be achieved by (a) ensuring good interlocking of commonly used. These bricks are inherently porous,
the masonry courses at the junctions, and (b) and so they absorb water. Excessive porosity is
emplo\ ing horizontal bands at various levels, detrimental to good masonry behaviour because the
particularly at the lintel level. Secondly, the sizes of bricks suck away water from the adjoining mortar,
door and window openings need to be kept small. The which results in poor bond between brick and mortar,
smaller the openings, the larger is the resistance and in difficulty in positioning masonry units. For this
offered by the wall. Thirdly, the tendency of a wall to reason, bricks with low porosity are to be used, and
topple when pushed in the weak direction can be they must be soaked in water before use to minimise
reduced by limiting its length-to-thickness and height- the amount of water drawn away from the mortar.
to-thickness ratios (Figure 3). Design codes specify Various mortars are used, e.g., mud, cement-sand,
limits for these ratios. A wall that is too tall or too long or cement-sand-lime. Of these, mud mortar is the
in comparison to its thickness, is particularly weakest; it crushes easily when dry, flows outward
vulnerable to shaking in its weak direction (Figure 3). and has very low earthquake resistance. Cement-sand
mortar with lime is the most suitable. This mortar mix
provides excellent workability for laying bricks,
stretches without crumbling at low earthquake
shaking, and bonds well with bricks. The earthquake
response of masonry walls depends on the relative
Overturning strengths of brick and mortar. Bricks must be stronger
than mortar. Excessive thickness of mortar is not
Overturning desirable. A 10mm thick mortar layer is generally
satisfactory from practical and aesthetic
considerations. Indian Standards prescribe the
preferred types and grades of bricks and mortars to be
used in buildings in each seismic zone.
Soil wsoirmm
«MiMrWi Related ISffllg-HH Earthquake Tip
Thick Wall(l'ibnck) 1 Short Wall 11 brick) Tip 5: Whatare the seismic effects on structures?
Resource Material
Thin Wall (1 brick)
IS 1905, (1987), Indian Standard Code of Practice for Structural Use of
Unretnforced Masonry, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi
IS4326, (1993), Indian Standard Code of Practice for Earthquake Resistant
Design and Construction of Building*, Bureau of Indian Standards,
New Delhi
Largeportion of wallt
not supported by IS 13828, (1993), Indian Standard Guideline? fur Improving Earthquake
cross walls Resistance of LotO-Strengttt Masonry Buildings, Bureau ol Indian
Standards, New Delhi
Cross Wall
PauIay.T., and PriestleyA1.J.N., (1992), Seismic Design of Reinforced
Concrete and Masonry Buildings, lolui Wilev & Son-.. I IS \
Next Upcoming Tip
Why should masonry houses have simple structural configuration?
-0
Authored by.
C.V.R.Murty
\\f# Indian Institute ol Technology Kanpux
Kanpur, India
Sponsored by.
lwvm mn Short Wall Building Materials and technology Promotion
Good support offered ,#:••;•& C uuncil, New Delhi, India
by cross walls ';-'v;vJv;
This release is a property of IIT Kanpur and BMTPC New
Figure 3: Slender walls are vulnerable - height Delhi. It may be reproduced without changing its contents
and length to be kept within limits. Note: In this and with due acknowledgement. Suggestions/comments
may be sent to: nicee(aiitk.ac.in Visit www.nicee.org or
figure, the effect of roof on walls is not shown. www.bmtpc.oru, tosee previous IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tips.
March 2003
24
Learning
HTK - hrnlBE Earthquake Design
Earthquake Tip and
Construction
Good
connection
"•..•..'.••.. '.•'.• ,.-,..,.-,..,..,..,..,.."..'..M*..\.<..•..•..•'
between
walls and
Good connection foundation Regions
at wall corners' where load
Figure 1: Essential requirements to ensure box transfer
earthquake takes place
action in a masonry building.
shaklna from one
wall to
Influence of Openings another
Openings are functional necessities in buildings. Figure 2: Regions of force transfer from weak
However, location and size of openings in walls walls to strong walls in a masonry building -
wall B1 pulls walls A1 and A2, while wall B2
assume significance in deciding the performance of
pushes walls A1 and A2.
masonry buildings in earthquakes. To understand this,
25
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 13
Why should masonry buildings have simple structural configuration? jnigc2
Large window
opening
reduces the
wall strength
in its strong
direction
Damage
Diagonal
bracing
effect
•^Door opening close to wall corner
weakens the connection between walls ^^mSDamage
Figure 3: Openings weaken walls in a masonry MtMNMNMMMMMW
building -a single closed horizontal band must (a) Damage in building with rigidly built-in staircase
be provided above all of them.
Reinforced Concrete
Earthquake-Resistant Features Stair Case Tower
Masonry
below lintel
Wall
Plinth Band
Foundation
•^^T^J*': •':
Gable-mot
connection
Root
Band
Floor-walls
connectioi
27
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 14
Why are horizontal bands necessary in masonry buildings? PaSe2
Design of Lintel Bands
During earthquake shaking, the lintel band
undergoes bending and pulling actions (Figure 3). To
resist these actions, the construction of lintel band Wood
Bending of Pulling of
'Lintel Band Lintel Band
(b) RC Band
Resource Material
150
J 751
! mm e—^ IAEE, (1986), Guidelines for Earthquake Resistant Non-Engineered
Construction, International Association
Engineering, Tokyo, available on www.nicee.org
for Earthquake
Sill Band
(Similar to ^^
Untel Band.^™
but discontinued
Resource Material
i1""""""'"": !> Amrose.J., (1991), Simplified Design of Masonry Structures. John Wiley
(b) Vertical reinforcement prevents sliding in walls & Sons, Inc., USA
(See Figure 3). BMTPC, (2000), Guidelines: Improving Earthquake Resistance of
Housing, Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council,
Figure 4: Vertical reinforcement in masonry walls New Delhi
- wall behaviour is modified. IS 4326, (1993), Indian Standard Code of Practicefor Earthquake Resistant
Design and Construction of Buildings, Bureau of Indian Standards,
New Delhi
Protection of Openings in Walls IS 13828, (1993), Indian Standard Guidelines for Improving Earthquake
Sliding failure mentioned above is rare, even in Resistance of Low-strength Masonry Buildings, Bureau of Indian
unconfined masonry buildings. However, the most Standards, New Delhi
^r^
"y Outward bulging
/ of vertical wall
layer
Half-dressed
oblong stones
< BOOmm
Floor
!••
Figure 4: Horizontal lintel band is essential in
random rubble stone masonry walls -
provides integrity to the dwelling, and holds the
Pair of overlapping stones walls together to resist horizontal earthquake
(each of length at least
effects.
Xt*s the wall thickness)
— 33
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 17
How do Earthquakes Affect Reinforced Concrete Buildings? /"W
Horizontal Earthquake Effects are Different (which receive forces from columns) should be
Griwiti/ loading (due to self weight and contents) on stronger than columns. Further, connections between
buildings causes RC frames to bend resulting in beams & columns and columns & foundations should
stretching and shortening at various locations. Tension not fail so that beams can safely transfer forces to
is generated at surfaces that stretch and compression columns and columns to foundations.
at those that shorten (Figure 4b). Under gravity loads, When this strategy is adopted in design, damage is
tension in the beams is at the bottom surface of the likely to occur first in beams (Figure 5a). When beams
beam in the central location and is at the top surface at are detailed properly to have large ductility, the
the ends. On the other hand, earthquake loading causes building as a whole can deform by large amounts
tension on beam and column faces at locations despite progressive damage caused due to consequent
different from those under gravity loading (Figure 4c); yielding of beams. In contrast, if columns are made
the relative levels of this tension (in technical terms, weaker, they suffer severe local damage, at the top and
bending moment) generated in members are shown in bottom of a particular storey (Figure 5b). This localized
Figure 4d. The level of bending moment due to damage can lead to collapse of a building, although
earthquake loading depends on severity of shaking columns at storeys above remain almost undamaged.
and can exceed that due to gravity loading. Thus, Damage^
under strong earthquake shaking, the beam ends can y*t s^l 1 Large 1 Small
^ displacement
develop tension on either of the top and bottom faces. B sr collapse at collapse
Strength Hierarchy
For a building to remain safe during earthquake
shaking, columns (which receive forces from beams)
should be stronger than beams, and foundations
arJ
(a) Strong Columns, f
Weak Beams }p
_
(b) Weak Column
Strong Beam
Figure 5: Two distinct designs of build ngs that
result in different earthquake perfornl a n c e s -
Gravity I Earthquake I columns should be stronger than beam s.
Authored
C.V.R Murt)
Indian Institute ol lechnolog) Kanpur
Kanpur, India
Sponsored by:
Building Materials and Technologj Promotion
( ouncil. New Delhi, India
Inclined crack
Longitudinal Bar
Larger diameter steel bars that
go through the full length of the
beam
failure and is therefore undesirable. If relatively Longitudinal bars are provided to resist flexural
less steel is present on the tension face, the steel cracking on the side of the beam that stretches. Since
yields first (it keeps elongating but does not snap, as both top and bottom faces stretch during strong
steel has ability to stretch large amounts before it earthquake shaking (IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 17),
snaps; see IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 9) and longitudinal steel bars are required on both faces at the
redistribution occurs in the beam until eventually ends and on the bottom face at mid-length (Figure 3).
the concrete crushes in compression; this is a ductile The Indian Ductile Detailing Code IS13920-1993
failure and hence is desirable. Thus, more steel on prescribes that:
tension face is not necessarily desirable! The ductile (a) At least two bars go through the full length of the
failure is characterized with many vertical cracks beam at the top as well as the bottom of the beam.
starting from the stretched beam face, and going (b) At the ends of beams, the amount of steel provided
towards its mid-depth (Figure 2a). at the bottom is at least half that at top.
35
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 18
How do Beams in RC Buildings Resist Earthquakes? _Mge2
bars are (a) made away from the face the column, and
Bon m steel at supports At leasl 2 bars should go (b) not made at locations where they are likely to
at le> st half of that at top full length of beam
stretch by large amounts and yield (e.g., bottom bars at
mid-length of the beam). Moreover, at the locations of
laps, vertical stirrups should be provided at a closer
spacing (Figure 6).
Spacing of stirrups Spacing of stirrups
as calculated as calculated
Column Column (but not more than d/4 (but not more than d/4
and 8 times beam bar and 8 times beam bar
Spacing o( stirrups
Figure 3: Location and amount of longitudinal diameter)
l per calculations
diameter)
steel bars in beams - these resist tension due to
flexjre.
Authored by:
C.V.R.Murtv
Indian Institute of livhnology Kanpur
Figure 4: Steel reinforcement in seismic beams
Kanpur, India
- stirrups with 135 hooks at ends required as per
Sponsored by:
_ IS 13920-1993.
Building Materials and Technology Promotion
Steel reinforcement bars are available usually in Council, New Delhi, India
lengths of 12-I4m. Thus, it becomes necessary to
This release is a property of IIT Kanpur and BMTPC New
overlap bars when beams of longer lengths are to be Delhi. It may be reproduced without changing its contents
made. At the location of the lap, the bars transfer large and ivith due acknowledgement. Suggestions/comments
forces from one to another. Thus, the Indian Standard may be sent to: niceeiaiitk.ac.in Visit www.nicee.org or
www.bmtpc.ori;. tc> sec prci'ious IITK-BMTI'C Earthquake Tips
IS:13^20-1993 prescribes that such laps of longitudinal September 21X)3
36
Learning
IITK - bmfc Earthquake Design
Earthquake Tip
Construction
Column
37
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 19
How do Columns in RC Buildings Resist Earthquakes? P'lge
(b)Over the distance specified in item (a) above and
below a beam-column junction, the vertical spacing
of ties in columns should not exceed D/4 for where Spacing of ties
not more wan D/4. but need
D is the smallest dimension of the column (e.g., in a not be less than 75mm nor
At least larger of
rectangular column, D is the length of the small D. no/6 and 450 mm mom than 100 mm
At least larger of
D. h</6 and 450 mm
Spacing of ties
not more than D/4. but need
not be less than 75mm nor
more than 100 mm
BOTH vertical bars Figure 4: Placing vertical bars and closed ties in
and 135 Ki columns - column ends and lap lengths are to
be protected with closely spaced ties.
Column
Related IITK -bmTPC Earthquake Tip
Figure 3: Extra links are required to keep the Ti>17: How do Earthquakes Affect Reinforced Concrete Buildings?
TiplS: HowdoBeams inRC Buildings Resist Earthquakes?
concrete in place - 180°links are necessary to
Resource Material
prevent the 135°tie from bulging outwards.
IS 13920, (1993), "Indian Standard Code of Practice for Ductile Detailing
ofReinforced Concrete Structures Subjected to Seismic Forces," Bureau
Lapping Vertical Bars of Indian Standards, New Delhi
PaulayT., and Priestley.M.J.N., (1992), "Seismic Design of Masonry
In the construction of RC buildings, due to the and Reinforced Concrete Buildings," John Wiley&Sons, USA
limitations in available length of bars and due to Next Upcoming Tip
constraints in construction, there are numerous How do Beam-Column Joints in RC Buildings Resist Earthquakes?
occasions when column bars have to be joined. A
simple way of achieving this is by overlapping the two Authored by:
bars over at least a minimum specified length, called t \ R Murty
lap length. The lap length depends on types of Indian Institute ol Technology Kanpur
reinforcement and concrete. For ordinary situations, it Kanpur, India
is about 50 times bar diameter. Further, IS:13920-1993 Sponsored by:
prescribes that the lap length be provided ONLY in the Building Materials and Technology Promotion
middle half of column and not near its top or bottom Council, New Delhi, India
ends (Figure 4). Also, only half the vertical bars in the This release is a property of IIT Kanpur and BMTPC New
column are to be lapped at a time in any storey. Delhi. It may be reproduced without changing its contents
Further, when laps are provided, ties must be and with due acknowledgement. Suggestions/comments
provided along the length of the lap at a spacing not may be sent to: niceediitk.ac.in Visit www.nicee.org or
www.bmtpc.org, to see previous IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tips.
more than 150mm. October 2003:September 2005
38
Learning
HTK - hnilpc Earthquake Design
Earthquake Tip and
Construction
-Closed ties
10 times
diameter of tie
Beam
Figure 1: Beam-Column Joints are critical parts
of a building - they need to be designed. 135
W1
Earthquake Behaviour of Joints Column
Intermediate
Under earthquake shaking, the beams adjoining a Column Bars
joint are subjected to moments in the same (clockwise Figure 3: Closed loop steel ties in beam-column
or counter-clockwise) direction (Figure 1). Under these joints - such ties with 135°hooks resist the ill
moments, the top bars in the beam-column joint are effects of distortion ofjoints.
pulled in one direction and the bottom ones in the
Providing closed-loop ties in the joint requires
opposite direction (Figure 2a). These forces are
some extra effort. Indian Standard IS:13920-1993
balanced by bond stress developed between concrete
recommends continuing the transverse loops around
and steel in the joint region. If the column is not wide
the column bars through the joint region. In practice,
enough or if the strength of concrete in the joint is low,
this is achieved by preparing the cage of the
there is insufficient grip of concrete on the steel bars.
reinforcement (both longitudinal bars and stirrups) of all
In such circumstances, the bar slips inside the joint
beams at a floor level to be prepared on top of the
region, and beams loose their capacity to carry load.
beam formwork of that level and lowered into the cage
(Figures 4a and 4b). However, this may not always be
o <=> o <=J possible particularly when the beams are long and the
/] //Compression
Gripping of entire reinforcement cage becomes heavy.
ar inside w Anchoring Beam Bars
joint region
The gripping of beam bars in the joint region is
improved first by using columns of reasonably large
cross-sectional size. As explained in Earthquake Tip 19,
(a) Loss of grip on beam bars (b) Distortion of joint: the Indian Standard IS:13920-1993 requires building
in joint region: causes diagonal columns in seismic zones III, IV and V to be at least
Large column widthand good cracking and cnishing 300mm wide in each direction of the cross-section
concrete help in holding the of concrete
beam bars
when they support beams that are longer than 5m or
when these columns are taller than 4m between floors
Figure 2: Pull-push forces on joints cause two
(or beams). The American Concrete Institute
problems - these result in irreparable damage in
recommends a column width of at least 20 times the
joints under strong seismic shaking.
diameter oflargest longitudinal bar used in adjoining beam.
39
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 20
How do Beam-Column loints in RC Buildings Resist Earthquakes? JlQge2
beam top bar in position while casting the column up
to the soffit of the beam. Moreover, the vertical
distance beyond the 90" bend in beam bars is not very
effective in providing anchorage. On the other hand, if
column width is large, beam bars may not extend
below soffit of the beam (Figure 5b). Thus, it is
preferable to have columns with sufficient width. Such
an approach is used in many codes [e.g., ACI318, 2005],
In interior joints, the beam bars (both top and
bottom) need to go through the joint without any cut
in the joint region. Also, these bars must be placed
within the column bars and with no bends(Figure 6).
•Seam bars bent injoint region overstress
c the core concrete adjoining the bends
Beam
%
horizontal earthquake force it can carry in the
ground storey is significantly smaller than what
each of the storeys above it can carry. Thus, the
open ground storey may also be a weak storey.
Often, open ground storey buildings are called soft Inverted
(a) Pendulum
storey buildings, even though their ground storey may
be soft and weak. Generally, the soft or weak storey
usually exists at the ground storey level, but it could
Stiff upper storeys:
be at any other storey level too. Small displacement between
Earthquake Behaviour adjacent floors
Open ground storey buildings have consistently Soft ground storey:
shown poor performance during past earthquakes Large displacement between
foundation and first floor
across the world (for example during 1999 Turkey, 1999
Taiwan and 2003 Algeria earthquakes); a significant ' ' Ground storey columns severely stressed
number of them have collapsed. A large number of Figure 2: Upper storeys of open ground storey
buildings with open ground storey have been built in buildings move together as a single block -
India in recent years. For instance, the city of such buildings are like invertedpendulums.
41
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 21
Why are Open-Ground Storey Buildings Vulnerable in Earthquakes? I"W ~
structure. The Code suggests that the forces in the
columns, beams and shear walls (if any) under the
action of seismic loads specified in the code, may be
obtained by considering the bare frame building
(without any infills) (Figure 4b). However, beams and
columns in the open ground storey are required to be
designed for 2.5 times the forces obtained from this
bare frame analysis.
For all new RCframe buildings, the best option is to
avoid such sudden and large decrease in stiffness
and/or strength in any storey; it would be ideal to
build walls (either masonry or RC walls) in the ground
psy The EERIAnnotated Slide Set CD. Earthquake storey also (Figure 5). Designers can avoid dangerous
mnng Research Institute Oakland (CAI. USA. 1998 effects of flexible and weak ground storeys by
(a) 1971 San Fernando Earthquake ensuring that too many walls are not discontinued in
the ground storey, i.e., the drop in stiffness and
strength in the ground storey level is not abrupt due to
the absence of infill walls.
The existing open ground storey buildings need to be
strengthened suitably so as to prevent them from
collapsing during strong earthquake shaking. The
owners should seek the services of qualified structural
engineers who are able to suggest appropriate
solutions to increase seismic safety of these buildings.
43
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 22
Why are Short Columns more Damaged During Earthquakes? P"Se2
•n
LLJ
Length depends
on diameter of
longitudinal bar
Short column
between lintel
and sill of
window
Figure 4: Effective height of column over which it
can bend is restricted byadjacent walls - this \
short-column effect is most severe when Short Column Regular Column
opening height is small.
Figure 5: Details of reinforcement in a building
with short column effect in some columns -
The Solution additional special requirements are given in
In new buildings, short column effect should be IS:13920-1993 for the short columns.
avoided to the extent possible during arcltitectural
design stage itself. When it is not possible to avoid Related IITK - bWpE Earthquake Tip
short columns, this effect must be addressed in Tip 6:How Architectural Features Affect Buildings During
Earthquakes?
structural design. The Indian Standard IS:13920-1993 Tip17:How do Earthquakes Affect Reinforced Concrete Buildings?
for ductile detailing of RC structures requires special Tip 19: How do Columns in RC Buildings Resist Earthquakes?
confining reinforcement to be provided over the full Resource Material
height of columns that are likely to sustain short IS 13920, (1993), "Indian Standard Code of Practice for Ductile Detailing
column effect. The special confining reinforcement (i.e., of Reinforced Concrete Structures Subjected lo Seismic Forces," Bureau
of Indian Standards, New Delhi
closely spaced closed ties) must extend beyond the
short column into the columns vertically above and Next Upcoming Tip
Why are buildings with shear walls preferred in seismic regions?
below by a certain distance as shown in Figure 5. See
ITTK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 19 for details of the special Autiwred
confinement reinforcement. ( A lv\lml\
In existing buildings with short columns, different Indian Institute ol rechnologj Kanpur
retrofit solutions can be employed to avoid damage in Kanpur, India
future earthquakes. Where walls of partial height are Sponsored by:
present, the simplest solution is to close the openings Building Materials and rechnologj Promotion
by building a wall of full height - this will eliminate l mini il, New I Villi, India
the short column effect. If that is not possible, short
columns need to be strengthened using one of the well This release is a property of ITT Kanpur and BMTPC New
Delhi. It may be reproduced without changing its contents
established retrofit techniques. The retrofit solution and with due acknowledgement. Suggestions/comments
should be designed by a qualified structural engineer may be sent to: niceeiaiitk.ac.in Visit www.nicw.orK or
with requisite background. www.bmtpc.orp. lo.«•<• previous IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tips.
January 2004
44
Learning
HTK - bnflpc Earthquake Design
Earthquake Tip and
Construction
=f
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 23
Why are Buildings with Shear Walls Preferred in Seismic Regions? page2
Ductile Design of Shear Walls increased. RC walls with boundary elements have
Just like reinforced concrete (RC) beams and substantially higher bending strength and horizontal
columns, RC shear walls also perform much better if shear force carrying capacity, and are therefore less
designed to be ductile. Overall geometric proportions susceptible to earthquake damage than walls without
of the wall, types and amount of reinforcement, and boundary elements.
connection with remaining elements in the building
help in improving the ductility of walls. The Indian
Standard Ductile Detailing Code for RC members Tension Compression
(IS:13920-1993) provides special design guidelines for
ductile detailing of shear walls. ... f . ... f . f . s . . . . .•
C-Shaped
Boundary Boundary Elements
L-Shaped
Element without increased thickness
-m LH
Boundary Elements Boundary
Element
a
0 9
RC Hollow
Core around
Elevators
e
Confining reinforcement in Anchoring of wall
-*C , boundary elements: reinforcement in
1351 hooks, closely spaced ties boundary element
Rectangular (b)
Figure 4: Layout of main reinforcement in shear
Figure 3: Shear walls in RC Buildings - different
walls as per IS:13920-1993 - detailing is the
geometries are possible.
key to good seismic performance.
'
Reinforcement Bars in RC Walls: Steel
reinforcing bars are to be provided in walls in Related IITK - timTPC Earthquake Tip
regularly spaced vertical and horizontal grids (Figure Tip6:How Architectural Features Affect Buildings During
4a). The vertical and horizontal reinforcement in the Earthquakes?
Tip19: How do Columns in RC Buildings ResistEarthquakes?
wall can be placed in one or two parallel layers called
Resource Material
curtains. Horizontal reinforcement needs to be IS 13920, (1993), "Indian Standard Code of Practice for Ductile DetmUng
anchored at the ends of walls. The minimum area of of Reinforced Concrete Structures Subjected toSeismic Forces," Bureau
reinforcing steel to be provided is 0.0025 times the of Indian Standards, New Delhi
cross-sectional area, along each of the horizontal and Paulay.T., and Priestley.M.J.N., (1992), "Seismic Design of Reinforced
Concrete andMasonry Buildings," John Wiley StSons, USA
vertical directions. This vertical reinforcement should
be distributed uniformly across the wall cross-section. Next Upcoming Tip
How to Reduce Earthquake Effects on Buildings?
Boundary Elements: Under the large overturning
effects caused by horizontal earthquake forces, edges Authored by.
of shear walls experience high compressive and tensile C.V.R.Murry
stresses. To ensure that shear walls behave in a ductile Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
wav, concrete in the wall end regions must be Kanpur, India
reinforced in a special manner to sustain these load Sj'onsored by:
reversals without loosing strength (Figure 4b). End Building Materials and Technology Promotion
regions ofa wall with increased confinement arecalled Council, New Delhi, India
boundary elements. This special confining transverse
77iis release is a property of IIT Kanpur and BMTPC New
reinforcement in boundary elements is similar to that Delhi. It may be reproduced without changing its contents
provided in columns of RC frames (See IITK-BMTPC and with due acknowledgement. Suggestions/comments
Earthquake Tip 19). Sometimes, the thickness of the may he sent to: niceeiaiitk.ac.in Visit www.nicee.org or
shear wall in these boundary elements is also www.bmtpc.org, to see previous IITK-BMTPC Eartliquake Tips.
February 2004
46
Learning
IITK - hmlpc Earthquake Design
Earthquake Tip and
Construction
•47
IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 24
How to Reduce Earthquake Effects on Buildings? P<W 2
Base Isolation in Real Buildings provided in a 18-storey RC frame structure in Gurgaon
Seismic isolation is a relatively recentand evolving (SeehttfJ^/www.palldynamics.com/main.htm).
technology It has been in increased use since the
1980s, and has been well evaluated and reviewed
internationally. Base isolation has now been used in
numerous buildings in countries like Italy, Japan, New
Zealand, and USA. Base isolation is also useful for
retrofitting important buildings (like hospitals and
historic buildings). By now, over 1000 buildings across
the world have been equipped with seismic base
isolation. In India, base isolation technique was first
demonstrated after the 1993 Killari (Maharashtra)
Earthquake [EERI, 1999]. Two single storey buildings
(one school building and another shopping complex
building) in newly relocated Killari town were built
with rubber base isolators resting on hard ground. Both
were brick masonry buildings with concrete roof. After the
2001 Bhuj (Gujarat) earthquake, the four-storey Bhuj
Hospital building was built with base isolation
technique (Figure 2).
"1