Ground failures: Vibration of soil Fault rupture Liquefaction Ground lurching Differential settlement Lateral spreading

Tsunamis Seiches Landslides Floods Fires Release of hazardous material

What is earthquake engineering? It is a branch of engineering devoted to prevent earthquake hazards and its after effects

Sliding Old structures may not be strongly bolted into the foundation Corrosion weakens attachments These structures could be bolted to the foundation. Weak foundations are quite derogatory to the building’s strength.  They could either be poorly built, or weathered down over time.  In an earthquake, a weak foundation would cause huge devastation, as the very bottom of the house would fail, resulting in a likely collapse.  Some of these elements are far from attainable in modern architecture, as square skyscrapers are hardly the style.  This is where earthquake engineering comes into play.  Developments in this field can help buildings stay safe even if they didn’t meet all of the above ideal requirements. 

Converts the energy of motion in a building into heat. Are for buildings rigidly attached to the ground; will protect from resonance vibrations.

Shear walls Wall composed of braced panels Flexible Counters the effects of swaying on a structure

Reinforcement Shorter buildings can resist seismic forces. Instead of adding stories, expand the first floor of your home.

Slosh Tanks Water in tank sloshes back and forth during an earthquake Prevents resonance in buildings Extra heat in building is absorbed

A device mounted in structures to prevent damage or outright structural failure by vibration.

Masonry Stone veneer or cement More resistant to earthquakes so crack easily Use other lighter materials to replace

Exterior concrete columns Infill shear trusses Massive exterior structure. It is not beautiful but it works.

3. At what college are the dorms reinforced? UC BERKELEY!!!

4. What is traditional seismic design? Lower stories are stronger than upper stories, meaning it is more prevalent to reinforce taller buildings and higher stories.

Overpasses Pillars: Spiral steel girders support columns and prevent bending of steel rods in the highway       The reinforcement of base, freeway, and support columns is another recent development.  New pillars are being developed.  Columns of concrete are embedded with strong rods of steel.  These rods are wrapped with lateral bands of steel.  When the huge weight of the freeway pushes down on the rods and pushes them outward, the steel bands resist the movement.  This gives it sufficient strength to support the bridge superstructure.  In an earthquake, this design is highly effective, as the steel rods embedded add a lot of strength and flexibility to the pillar. 

Top: Bridge Components Add size and weight to bridge’s footing Anchor with metal rods (pilings) Jacket of steel around column Thick cables help hold together Traditional concrete supports often lack the rigidity and strength to survive a major seismic disturbance.  One thing that can be done to improve the seismic stability of these pillars is to reinforce the footings.  Weight is added to them, and they are anchored with pilings, long metal rods that act as anchors.  Steel casing is also added to the column to add even more support.  The space between the column and the steel casing is filled with concrete.  Strong metal cables are also used to secure the bridge deck and superstructure to the column.  This design is highly effective in an earthquake.  Top: Bridge Components Left: Cable System

two inner tunnels a central tunnel an outer oval shell encompassing the three inner tubes

5. _____ trans-bay tube was constructed at the bottom of San Francisco Bay. BART! [gasp!]