Earthquakes and Architecture

Structure - III
Maham Shahzad (F2019101023)

Q 1. What do you understand by the term earthquake? Write down the causes of
earthquake.
It is defined as the shaking of the Earth’s surface which is a result of the sudden energy
release in the Earth’s lithosphere, creating seismic waves. Moving on to the cause of an
earthquake.
When underground rock suddenly breaks and there is rapid motion along a fault. This sudden
release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake. During and after the
earthquake, the plates or blocks of rock start moving—and they continue to move until they
get stuck again. The spot underground where the rock first breaks is called the focus,
or hypocenter of the earthquake. The place right above the focus (at the ground surface) is
called the epicenter of the earthquake. They are usually related to compression or tensional
stresses. Volcanic eruptions, rock fall, landslides, and explosions can also cause an
earthquake.

Figure 1: Location of Epicenter and Focus Figure 2: Movement of Plates

Q 2. Describe the seismic zones of Pakistan and in which zone is our city located?
According to the seismic zoning map, Pakistan is divided into five seismic zones (Zones 1,
2A, 2B, 3, and 4) considering the severity of seismic hazard; Zone 1 is the lowest, and zone 4
is the highest seismic zone. The northern parts of Pakistan, as well as the north western parts
of Balochistan, are situated in high seismic zones, whereas most of Punjab and Sindh
provinces are situated in low seismic zones.
Lahore, situated in Punjab comes under a relatively low seismic zone. Taking the map into
account, it comes under the Zone 2A. However, since it borders Zone 2B, the city is known
to feel aftershocks and tremors as seen during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.

Figure 3: Seismic Zoning Map of Pakistan

Q 3. As an architect what can you do to save your high rise building from earthquake?
Brief your answer with respect to planning and structure.
The addition of shear wall will be the first step to protect your building against an earthquake.
When the earthquake comes, the vertically oriented wide beams pass the seismic loads to the
shear wall, which in turn passes it down to the foundation. In the plan the construction of
shear walls should be symmetrical. Also erecting the shear wall around the perimeter of the
building will maximize effectiveness.

Figure 4: Shear Wall Figure 5: Base Isolators

A second technique is to provide base isolation. In this the building rests on base isolators
(flexible pads) that allow for flexibility in the structure.
The third options is the use of seismic dampeners. They are used in place of structural
elements like diagonal braces. They act like the hydraulic shock absorbers in cars. When
seismic energy passes through them and they absorb part of it and thus damp the motion of
the building.

Figure 6: Seismic Dampers