KQ5 Managing strategies Flashcards
What is aseismic design?
Architecture and engineering designed to withstand ground shaking and displacement
What type of buildings are most dangerous, what is the alternative?
- Multi story buildings can sway and pound against each other, especially towards the top, adding a stepped profile can provide considerable stability against lateral forces.
- Asymmetrical buildings are also dangerous and are susceptible to collapse as well as soft stories such as underground car parks that may collapse as they may be the weakest parts, for example a recent survey found a significant number of buildings in San Francisco made them vulnerable to this feature
Where can buildings be most vulnerable? How can this be prevented?
Buildings located in places along known faults and those with a lot of alluvium and high water content as well as those built on slopes that are vulnerable to mass movement. Excavating material to create flat surfaces and ensuring that there isn’t a high building density for example collapse of one building can lead to a chain reaction
How can building design be improved to withstand deformation?
Steel frame and cross braced construction can help to absorb energy
How can buildings be designed to withstand liquification?
Deep foundations such as energy absorbing pads in the foundations of buildings. For LIDCs and EDCs in private homes, rubber tyres with sand or stone can be very effective
Why may laws be ineffective for aseismic design?
Some countries don’t vigorously impose codes and laws, whilst some buildings may be built before laws are set in place. Retro fitting may be expensive for even ACs BUT it is important that buildings such as hospitals and water treatment plants are built with aseismic design
What can be done to modify the earthquake EVENT?
Nothing
What can be done to modify the volcanic EVENT?
Not possible for most events but the following have been tried
1. Lava diversion channels- mostly ineffective, requires downward slope and hard to predict flow
2. Dropping concrete blocks to slow lava down
3. Spraying lava to solidify it
4. Dropping lava bombs- blowing underground lava channels to solidify lava
Modifying vulnerability: How can education be used? What is the downside?
- Practicing drills- in japan kids practice drills 4x a year
- Identifying signs of eruptions
- Evacuation routes
- Encouraging households to make emergency kits
But if infrastructure is poor, this may be of little benefit
`How can community preparedness reduce vulnerability?
- Retrofitting public buildings
- Tsunami shelters and walls
- Setting up local community groups to educate residents may be effective in LIDCs where government has fewer resources.
Modifying vulnerability: How can land use zoning reduce vulnerability?
Hazard mapping can be used to identify locations where building is avoided. Local planners can use this during construction and determining safe evacuation routes e.g. Mount Taranaki in NZ has been zoned in to zones based on likely type and level of damage from EQ
Modifying vulnerability: How can monitoring reduce vulnerability?
- Early warning systems- equipment can be used to detect warning signs of an earthquake, relevant authorities can be notified and an alert warning can be issued to communities by mobile phones
- Satellite communication technology- helps transmit data from monitoring equipment so early warnings can be issued e.g, Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System transmits data every 15 seconds
Modifying loss: list 4 ways
- Emergency aid e.g. medical supplies and food packs
- Disaster response teams and equipment e.g. helicopters
- Resources for rebuilding public services
- Insurance for building and businesses- this was compulsory for residential buildings in Turkey however not imposed
