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Earthquake Tip 17
Earthquake Tip 17
Earthquakc TIp
17
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|ar|nqua|c Dcsign
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Ccns|ruc|icn
Reinforced Concrete uiIdings
In iecenl lines, rcinfcrccd ccncrc|c luiIdings have
lecone connon in India, pailicuIaiIy in lovns and
cilies. Reinfoiced conciele (oi sinpIy RC) consisls of
lvo piinaiy naleiiaIs, naneIy ccncrc|c vilh rcinfcrcing
s|cc| oars. Conciele is nade of sand, crusncd s|cnc (ca||cd
aggrcga|cs) and ccncn|, aII nixed vilh pie-deleinined
anounl of valei. Conciele can le noIded inlo any
desiied shape, and sleeI lais can le lenl inlo nany
shapes. Thus, sliucluies of conpIex shapes aie
possilIe vilh RC.
A lypicaI RC luiIding is nade of hoiizonlaI
nenleis (ocans and s|aos) and veilicaI nenleis
(cc|unns and ua||s), and suppoiled ly fcunda|icns lhal
iesl on giound. The syslen conpiising of RC coIunns
and connecling leans is caIIed a RC |ranc. The RC
fiane pailicipales in iesisling lhe eailhquake foices.
Lailhquake shaking geneiales ineilia foices in lhe
luiIding, vhich aie piopoilionaI lo lhe luiIding nass.
Since nosl of lhe luiIding nass is piesenl al fIooi
IeveIs, eailhquake-induced ineilia foices piinaiiIy
deveIop al lhe fIooi IeveIs. These foices liaveI
dovnvaids - lhiough s|ao and ocans lo cc|unns and
ua||s, and lhen lo lhe foundalions fion vheie lhey aie
dispeised lo lhe giound. As ineilia foices accunuIale
dovnvaids fion lhe lop of lhe luiIding, lhe coIunns
and vaIIs al Iovei sloieys expeiience highei
eailhquake-induced foices (Iiguie 1) and aie lheiefoie
designed lo le sliongei lhan lhose in sloieys alove.
RoIes of FIoor SIubs und Musonry WuIIs
IIooi sIals aie hoiizonlaI pIale-Iike eIenenls,
vhich faciIilale funclionaI use of luiIdings. UsuaIIy,
leans and sIals al one sloiey IeveI aie casl logelhei.
In iesidenliaI nuIli-sloiey luiIdings, lhickness of sIals
is onIy aloul 11O-15Onn. When leans lend in lhe
veilicaI diieclion duiing eailhquakes, lhese lhin sIals
lend aIong vilh lhen (Iiguie 2a). And, vhen leans
nove vilh coIunns in lhe hoiizonlaI diieclion, lhe
sIal usuaIIy foices lhe leans lo nove logelhei vilh il.
In nosl luiIdings, lhe geoneliic disloilion of lhe sIal
is negIigilIe in lhe hoiizonlaI pIane, lhis lehavioui is
knovn as lhe rigid diapnragn ac|icn (Iiguie 2l).
SliucluiaI engineeis nusl considei lhis duiing design.
Aflei coIunns and fIoois in a RC luiIding aie casl
and lhe conciele haidens, veilicaI spaces lelveen
coIunns and fIoois aie usuaIIy fiIIed-in vilh nasoniy
vaIIs lo denaicale a fIooi aiea inlo funclionaI spaces
(ioons). NoinaIIy, lhese nasoniy vaIIs, aIso caIIed
infi|| ua||s, aie nol connecled lo suiiounding RC
coIunns and leans. When coIunns ieceive hoiizonlaI
foices al fIooi IeveIs, lhey liy lo nove in lhe hoiizonlaI
diieclion, lul nasoniy vaIIs lend lo iesisl lhis
novenenl. Due lo lheii heavy veighl and lhickness,
lhese vaIIs alliacl ialhei Iaige hoiizonlaI foices
(Iiguie 3). Hovevei, since nasoniy is a liillIe
naleiiaI, lhese vaIIs deveIop ciacks once lheii aliIily
lo caiiy hoiizonlaI Ioad is exceeded. Thus, infiII vaIIs
acl Iike saciificiaI fuses in luiIdings, lhey deveIop
ciacks undei seveie giound shaking lul heIp shaie lhe
Ioad of lhe leans and coIunns unliI ciacking.
Lailhquake peifoinance of infiII vaIIs is enhanced ly
noilais of good slienglh, naking piopei nasoniy
couises, and piopei packing of gaps lelveen RC
fiane and nasoniy infiII vaIIs. Hovevei, an infiII vaII
lhal is unduIy laII oi Iong in conpaiison lo ils
lhickness can faII cu|-cf-p|anc (i.c., aIong ils lhin
diieclion), vhich can le Iife lhiealening. AIso, pIacing
infiIIs iiieguIaiIy in lhe luiIding causes iII effecls Iike
sncr|-cc|unn cffcc| and |crsicn (lhese viII le discussed
in sulsequenl ||TK-8MTPC |ar|nqua|c Tips).
Figure 1: TotaI horizontaI earthquake force in a
buiIding increases downwards aIong its height.
Total Force
F
I
o
o
r
L
e
v
e
I
5
4
3
2
1
Figure 3: InfiII waIIs move together with the
coIumns under earthquake shaking.
Compression
Cracks
Figure 2: FIoor bends with the beam but moves
aII coIumns at that IeveI together.
Gap
(a) Out-of-plane
Vertical Movement
(b) In-plane Horizontal Movement
IITK-BMTPC Earthquakc TIp 17
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