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If the structures are constructed over the soft or difficult soil, during earthquake the whole
structure can fail regardless of improvement techniques. The disastrous effect may be influenced
by the dynamic soil characteristics of the area. Soil becomes highly instable due to the damage,
which results in large ground movements, association of the damage with the local soil
conditions is readily apparent. Thus, for example, deposits of loose granular soils may be
compacted by the ground vibrations induced by the earthquake, resulting in large settlements and
differential settlements of the ground surface. Typical examples of damage due to this cause are
shown in Figures 16.1 and 16.2. Figure 16.1 shows an island near Valdivia, Chile, which was
partially submerged as a result of the combined effects of tectonic land movements and ground
settlement due to compaction in the Chilean earthquake of 1960. Figure 16.2 shows differential
settlement of the backfill of a bridge in the Niigata earthquake of 1964.
For example, earthquakes often knock buildings from their foundations. One solution involves
tying the foundation to the building so the whole structure moves as a unit.
large plastic deformations. Brick and concrete buildings have low ductility
and therefore absorb very little energy. This makes them especially
vulnerable in even minor earthquakes. Buildings constructed of steelreinforced concrete, on the other hand, perform much better because the
embedded steel increases the ductility of the material. And buildings made
of structural steel -- steel components that come in a variety of preformed
shapes, such as beams, angles and plates -- offer the highest ductility,
allowing buildings to bend considerably without breaking.
Ideally, engineers don't have to rely solely on a structure's inherent ability to
dissipate energy. In increasingly more earthquake-resistant buildings,
designers are installing damping systems. Active mass damping, for
example, relies on a heavy mass mounted to the top of a building and
connected to viscous dampers that act like shock absorbers. When the
building begins to oscillate, the mass moves in the opposite direction,
which reduces the amplitude of mechanical vibrations. It's also possible to
use smaller damping devices in a building's brace system.
Even with extensive testing on laboratory shake tables, any seismic
engineering design concept remains a prototype until it experiences an
actual earthquake. Only then can the larger scientific community evaluate
its performance and use what it learns to drive innovation. In the next
section, we'll examine some of those innovations, as well as what the future
may hold for seismic engineering.
a smaller scale. They also reinforced the whole church from the outside
[source: PBS].
Today, the techniques are a bit different, but the basic principles are the
same. Before we delve into the nuts and bolts of building earthquakeresistant structures, let's review some basics, namely, what forces are
generated during an earthquake and how they affect man-made structures.
The damage resulting from earthquakes may be influenced in a number of ways by the characteristics of
the soils in the affected area. Where the damage is related to a gross instability of the soil, resulting in
large permanent movements of the ground surface, association of the damage with the local soil
conditions is readily apparent. Thus, for example, deposits of loose granular soils may be compacted by
the ground vibrations induced by the earthquake, resulting in large settlements and differential
settlements of the ground surface. Typical examples of damage due to this cause are shown in Figures
Figure 16.1 and Figure 16.2 Figure Figure 16.1 shows an island near Valdivia, Chile, which was partially
submerged as a result of the combined effects of tectonic land movements and ground settlement due to
compaction in the Chilean earthquake of 1960. Figure Figure 16.2 shows differential settlement of the
backfill of a bridge in the Niigata earthquake of 1964.
dam foundations undergoes effects of inertia and flexibility due to the propagation
of seismicwaves.