Earthquakes are one of the most common natural disasters that can strike at unpredictable moments anywhere in the world. From the disaster in San Francisco in the 1910s to others in modern times, architecture has seen a massive improvement in finding ways to tighten the infrastructure of our buildings. Here are some tips for constructing earthquake-proof buildings.
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Building With Strength
Today, every architectural building is built with solid material that can withstand the overwhelming strength of an earthquake. As you construct your building, focus on vertical and lateral strength and stiffness; these factors will protect your building since you won’t know the earthquake’s direction.
Because earthquakes hit in different directions, buildings can topple over and cause plenty of destruction if a worker doesn’t build based on the directional forces that earthquakes can come from.
Consider Regular Movements
As we make architectural buildings, the other thing we suggest is to look at the way the structure moves in lateral directions. When constructing a building, it’s important to envision how it will sway and create movement from different sides.
All in all, it’s good to have a building move in equal directions; that way, when an earthquake strikes, the building can move along the path of the quake to prevent anything from falling.
Construct a Stable Foundation
It’s essential to have a solid foundation to work with when constructing a building, especially as it concerns the material you use. For instance, you can use sliding plates for the foundation. A sliding plate moves underneath the building while the building remains stable.
Use Proper Materials
The most important thing to note in our list of tips for constructing earthquake-proof buildings is to consider the material you’re using for construction. Use stainless steel or bamboo when building, as both can last for a long time and even improve the foundation of buildings.
Stainless steel is a malleable material that can withstand any natural disaster and requires little maintenance. As you construct your building, focus on materials that won’t require upkeep but are strong enough to handle earthquakes.
Architecture has come a long way. With many new ways to build and the invention of modern materials, we’ve found other innovative strategies to construct earthquake-proof architecture.