Study on the Seismic Safety of the Qinghai Traditional Dwellings

Abstract

Qinghai is a multi-ethnic region, mainly living in the eastern agricultural areas Han, Hui and Tu, mainly living in the southwest area of animal husbandry Tibetan and Mongol. In order to adapt to the cold, arid, windy and long sunshine time climate of Qinghai, people created a unique style of traditional vernacular dwelling, Zhuangke. This unique architectural form is mainly with wooden frame bearing, matching with brick walls or rammed earth walls. Such buildings are mostly villagers themselves built according to past experience; do not involve seismic design, resulting in a great security risk. Through the field investigation of ten natural villages, this article has a deep understanding of the seismic performance of Zhuangke. Based on survey data, this paper presents its structural safety and seismic performance problem.