Configuration of the Building

In past, wide range of structural damages was observed during earthquakes

across the world. These are not desirable structural configurations, which must
be avoided.
Size of building
 Figure 1a shows tall buildings with large height to base size ratio. In that
case, the horizontal movement of the floors during ground shaking is
large.
 Figure 1b shows short but very long buildings. In that case, the damaging
effects during earthquake shaking are many.
 Figure 1c shows buildings with large plan area like warehouses. In that
case, the horizontal seismic forces can be excessive to be carried by
columns and walls.

Horizontal layout of building

 Figure 2a shows buildings with simple geometry in plan will perform
well during strong earthquakes.
 Figure 2b shows buildings with re-entrant corners shaped in plan have
sustained significant damage during earthquake. For example, U, V, H
and +.
 Figure 2c shows the bad effects of interior corners in the plan of
buildings. These can be avoided by making the buildings in two parts.
 The columns/walls are not equally distributed in building tend to twist
during earthquake shaking.
Vertical layout of building
 The earthquake forces developed at different floor levels in a building
need to be brought down along the height to the ground.
 Any deviation or discontinuity in this load transfer path results in poor
performance of the building.
 Figure 3a shows buildings with vertical setbacks, which cause a sudden
jump in earthquake forces at the level of discontinuity.
 Figure 3b shows buildings that have fewer columns or walls in a
particular storey or with unusually tall storey tend to damage or collapse.
 The buildings with an open ground storey intended for parking collapsed
or were severely damaged in Gujarat during the 2001 Bhuj earthquake.
Figure 3c shows buildings on sloppy ground have unequal height
columns along the slope. It causes ill effects like twisting and damage in
shorter columns.
 Figure 3d shows buildings with columns that hang or float on beams at an
intermediate storey and do not go all the way to the foundation. It creates
discontinuities in the load transfer path.
  Figure 3e shows buildings, in which reinforced concrete walls do not go
all the way to the ground but stop at an upper level. These walls are liable
to get severely damaged during earthquakes.

Adjacency of building
 When the two buildings are too close to each other, it may pound on each
other during strong shaking. With increase in building height, this
collision can be a greater problem.
 When the two building heights do not match, the roof of the shorter
building may pound at the mid-height of the column of the taller one.
This is very dangerous. (See Figure 4)
The structure may fail during the earthquake when the two or more buildings are
just adjacent. During the earthquake, the different building shakes differently.
One shaking, one will not in neighbour, which is called “ponding”. The
possibilities of pounding depend on building period, height, drift, and distance
between two building(gap). When the minimum design gap i.e joint is not
provided between the two adjacent structures, the buildings strikes with each
other during the earthquake and it may collapse fully or partially.
In sort
 Architectural features that are detrimental to earthquake response of
buildings should be avoided or minimized.
 When irregular building features are included, a considerably higher level
of engineering effort is required in the structural design. Even after doing
so the building may not be as good as one with simple architectural
features.
 Decisions made at the planning stage on building configuration are more
important.
What is the preferred shape of an earthquake resistant building?
Buildings that are symmetrical and regular in plan & elevation are considered
suitable for earthquake-resistant construction. Hence, buildings should be as close
to being symmetric as possible. And therefore, if the sizes of the structural
members of the building are chosen accordingly, then buildings will translate
uniformly in the two horizontal directions in plan during earthquake shaking, and
will not twist. This is the desired behaviour. Square or rectangular plan shaped
buildings ensures least damage during the strong earthquake ground shaking.
Square plans are better than rectangular plans, because they are structurally
efficient. Rectangular plans are better than L-shaped plans. This does not mean
that all building must be square. But, it is essential to know implications of design
and take appropriate actions to counter the negative effects of choosing such
shapes. Any shape other than a square or rectangle is expected to sustain more
damage. But even in a rectangular plan shape, the length of the building should
be less than 3 times its width. The commonly used plan shapes (like T, L and C)
with non-rectangular plan are functionally convenient but structurally poor. If at
all such shapes are required, special attention should be made to strengthen the
corners; a competent Structural Engineer should undertake this work. Alternately,
the building L-shaped in plan can be made of two separate rectangular units with
a connecting flexible junction.