WEL-COME TO

V.N.I.T.
DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED MECHANICS
VISVESVARAYA NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NAGPUR
 Preliminary Round
Inter School Quiz Competition
on

Earthquake Tip
2011-12

National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
nicee
Round Robin
Q.
Why are buildings with vertical
setbacks prone to damage during an
earthquake?
There is
There is sudden
sudden jump
jump inin
earthquake forces
earthquake forces at
at the
the level
level of
of
discontinuity.
discontinuity.
Q.
How can the effects of twisting be
minimized?
By ensuring
By ensuring that
that buildings
buildings are
are
symmetric in
symmetric in plan.
plan.
Uniform Movement
of Floor

Earthquake
Identical Vertical
Ground
Members
Movement
Q.
How does twisting damage buildings?
Different portions
Different portions at
at the
the same
same floor
floor
level move
level move horizontally
horizontally byby different
different
amounts.
amounts.

Earthquake
Ground
Movement
These columns are more vulnerable
Q.
What do you mean by symmetry in
plan?
Uniformly distributed
Uniformly distributed mass
mass in
in plan
plan and
and
uniformly placed
uniformly placed identical
identical vertical
vertical
members
members
Uniform Movement
of Floor

Earthquake
Identical Vertical
Ground
Members
Movement
Q.
What do you mean by earthquake
resistant buildings?
Buildings that
Buildings that resist
resist the
the effect
effect of
of
ground shaking,
ground shaking, may
may getget damaged
damaged
severely but
severely but will
will not
not collapse.
collapse.
Q.
What type of structures should be
designed for higher level of earthquake
forces?
Fire Stations,
Fire Stations,
Hospitals,
Hospitals,
Dams,
Dams,
Nuclear power
Nuclear power plants
plants
Q.
What is the earthquake design
philosophy for moderate shaking?
Main members
Main members may
may sustain
sustain repairable
repairable
damage while
damage while other
other members
members may
may have
have
to be
to be replaced
replaced after
after the
the earthquake
earthquake
Q.
Name three chief tectonic sub - regions
of India?
 Himalayan
•• Himalayan
Himalayas
Region
Region
Indo-Gangetic
•• Indo-Gangetic Indo- Gangetic
Plains
Plains
Plains
The Peninsula
•• The Peninsula
Region
Region Peninsular
India
Q.
What is the temperature variation
between the core and the Earth’s
surface.
Core:: ~~ 2500
Core:: 2500 degrees
degrees Celcius
Celcius
Earth’s Surface::
Earth’s Surface:: ~~ 25
25 degrees
degrees Celcius
Celcius
Q.
What are different types of
Magnitude Scales?
1. Richter
1. Richter Magnitude
Magnitude Scale
Scale
2. Body
2. Body Wave
Wave Magnitude
Magnitude Scale
Scale
3. Surface
3. Surface Wave
Wave Magnitude
Magnitude Scale
Scale
4. Wave
4. Wave Energy
Energy Magnitude
Magnitude Scale
Scale
Q.
Where is the energy for the
development of convective currents
in the mantle derived from?
 Decay of
Decay of the
the radioactive
radioactive elements
elements in
in
the mantle.
the mantle.

Crust

Mantle
Q.
Which phenomena leads to the
formation of mountains?
Tectonic Plate
Tectonic Plate Collisions
Collisions
Formation of mountain
Q.
What is the pressure variation
between the core and the Earth’s
surface.
Core:: ~~ 44 Million
Core:: Million Atmosphere
Atmosphere
Earth’s Surface::
Earth’s Surface:: 11 Atmosphere
Atmosphere
Q.
What are the three components of a
seismograph?
1) Sensor
1) Sensor
2) Recorder
2) Recorder
3) Timer
3) Timer
Q.
What is the basic difference between a
seismoscope and a seismograph?
Seismoscopes do
Seismoscopes do not
not have
have aa timer
timer
device
device

String
Magnet

Pendulum Bob
Pen
Support Rotating
Drum

Chart Paper Direction of

Ground Shaking Recorded
Q.
What is an Accelerogram?
Variation of
Variation of ground
ground acceleration
acceleration
with time
with time recorded
recorded at
at aa point
point on
on
ground during
ground during an
an earthquake
earthquake
Q.
Define Epicentral Distance?
Distance from
Distance from epicenter
epicenter to
to any
any
point of
point of interest
interest

Epicentral Distance
Epicenter Place of
Interest

Fault Focal
Rupture Depth

Focus
Q.
What are Foreshocks and
Aftershocks?
Foreshocks: Smaller
Foreshocks: Smaller earthquakes
earthquakes
occurring before
occurring before the
the main
main shock
shock

Aftershocks: Smaller
Aftershocks: Smaller earthquakes
earthquakes
occurring after
occurring after the
the main
main shock
shock
Q.
What are Isoseismals?
Lines joining
Lines joining points
points of
of equal
equal Intensity
Intensity

IX

VIII

VII

Isoseismal Map of the 2001 Bhuj (India) Earthquake (MSK

Intensity)
Q.
What are the three features on which
intensity scales are based on?
The intensity
The intensity scales
scales are
are based
based on
on three
three
features of
features of shaking:
shaking:
1. Perception
1. Perception by
by people
people and
and animals
animals
2. Performance
2. Performance of
of buildings
buildings
3. Changes
3. Changes to
to natural
natural surroundings.
surroundings.
Q.
What is Allah Bund?
1819 Cutch
1819 Cutch Earthquake
Earthquake
33 m
m high
high uplift
uplift of
of the
the ground
ground over
over
100 km
100 km length
length
Q.
Define “Inertia”?
The tendency
The tendency of of aa body
body to
to remain
remain in
in its
its
state of
state of rest
rest or
or uniform
uniform motion.
motion.

SUDDEN IMPULSE
Q.
Why do normal buildings easily
sustain vertical direction of shaking?
Factors of
Factors of safety
safety are
are used
used inin the
the design
design
of structures
of structures to
to resist
resist the
the gravity
gravity loads
loads

g
Q.
How will you calculate the stiffness
force in a column ?
Column stiffness
Column stiffness times
times the
the
displacement between
displacement between its
its ends
ends

F  k
Q.
Why are masonry buildings most
vulnerable to earthquake shaking?
They are
They are brittle
brittle structures.
structures.
Masonry walls
Masonry walls are
are weak
weak inin direction
direction
perpendicular to
perpendicular to its
its plane
plane
Pushed in the plane of the wall

Strong Weak
Weak Direction
Direction
Strong
Direction
Direction

Direction of
earthquake
shaking Toppling

Pushed
perpendicular Direction of
to the plane of the earthquake
shaking
wall
Q.
In a typical rural stone house, walls
construct of two vertical layers. What
are the drawbacks of such walls?
 Vertically
These walls
These walls are
are split layer Vertical
Vertical gap
gap

thick and
thick and do
do not
not of wall Vertically split
o
have stones
have stones that
that go
go
across through
across through Mud mortar

stones. These
stones. These Outward

wythes split
wythes split into
into 22 Half- bulging of
vertical wall

vertical layers
vertical layers dressed
oblong
layer

which cause
which cause stones

collapse in
collapse in the
the wall.
wall.
Q.
The system comprising of RC
columns and connecting beams.
what is a need of that?
This frame
This frame participates
participates in
in resisting
resisting the
the
earthquake forces.
earthquake forces.
Q.
In RC buildings, portions of columns
that are common to beams at their
intersections.
Why these regions have limited force
carrying capacity?
 Beam Column
Beam Column Joints
Joints

Beam-Column Joint
Overlap volume common to
beams and columns Because
Because
their
their
constituent
constituent
materials
materials
have limited
have limited
strength.
strength.
Q.
Why ductile structural elements are
preferred in earthquake resistant
design of buildings?
Such buildings
Such buildings have
have the
the ability
ability to
to
sway back
sway back and
and forth
forth without
without collapse
collapse

Ductile
Total Horizontal Performance
Earthquake
Force on
Building

Horizontal Movement of Roof of

Building
relative to its base
Q.
What are the four virtues of an
earthquake-resistant building??
1. Good
1. Good Structural
Structural Configuration,
Configuration,
2. Lateral
2. Lateral Strength,
Strength,
3. Adequate
3. Adequate Stiffness,
Stiffness, &
&
4. Good
4. Good Ductility
Ductility