Abstract
Earthquakes happen all around the world and they have now become a common threat to the mankind. Sri Lanka is also becoming more vulnerable to earthquakes due to recent geological changes. The aim of this study was to present modern methods of constructing earthquake resilient structures in the world and to study the most suitable solutions for Sri Lanka. Earthquake dampers reduce the vibrations and motions of a building during earthquakes. There are many types of earthquake dampers. Base-isolator is where the base is isolated from the building in the time of an earthquake reducing the motion of the building. Viscous dampers act as shock absorbers in the event of an earthquake, reducing the motion of the building. Friction dampers act like brakes due to its friction and reduce the motion of the building. Tuned mass dampers use the concept of inertia to keep the structure still by exerting an equal and opposite motion to the motion of the building. Core – wall method attempts to keep the centre of gravity in the centre of the building. There are many other innovative methods like the levitating foundation which creates a cushion of air between the building and the foundation at the time of an earthquake, seismic invisibility cloak which aims to make the building invisible to seismic waves, smart materials that have a larger elastic range, biomaterials that base their concepts on biological features of some creatures and cardboard tubes which presents a more affordable seismic damping solution. Considering the local conditions, the most suitable methods were studied and the following were concluded. For low and high rise buildings - friction dampers, for hospitals - base isolation, for bridges - viscous dampers, for stadiums and power distribution lines - tuned mass dampers and for towers - core wall method can be proposed.
Highlights
An earthquake is the shaking of the earth’s surface due to the release of energy by means of seismic waves from the earth’s core resulting from the movement of tectonic plates inside the earth
Some examples for popular buildings considered as engineering marvels due to the technology of earthquake dampers used are Tokyo Skytree and Taipei 101. [2], [3]
This is where earthquake dampers are of prime importance
Summary
Earthquake dampers (seismic dampers / seismic vibration control devices) are instruments that minimize damages to constructions during earthquakes and typhoons (cyclones) which cause these structures to shake, sway and vibrate that can otherwise cause severe structural damages. Earthquake dampers are widely used in high rise buildings as high rise buildings are prone to extremely high wind loads and the intensity of an earthquake is much severe on a high rise building than on a low rise building. It is important to note that with the growing trend of “vertical living”, it is essential that engineers have a sound solution to shield these constructions from earthquakes and other natural disasters as these constructions would be carrying thousands of lives at a single time. Some examples for popular buildings considered as engineering marvels due to the technology of earthquake dampers used are Tokyo Skytree and Taipei 101. Some examples for popular buildings considered as engineering marvels due to the technology of earthquake dampers used are Tokyo Skytree and Taipei 101. [2], [3]
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