Earthquakes can happen without a warning and potentially damage buildings without adequate support for this disaster. Thus, it is crucial to build a quake-resistant house.
Regarding this, seismic retrofitting is one of the techniques you can use to strengthen the building’s structure and make it more stable and quake-resistant.
This article explains the definition of seismic retrofitting, its advantages, and its types. So, read the following explanation to understand how vital this technique is to protect your family.
What Is Seismic Retrofitting?
Seismic retrofit is a technique used to strengthen the foundation and structure of the building, making it more resistant to seismic activity like earthquakes. When a quake happens, an old building has a higher risk of being damaged because it does not follow the modern quake-resistant building standard.
To increase the building's strength, which can support seismic pressure and reduce bigger damage, you can use retrofitting to enhance the existing structure.
In quake-prone areas, this method can be a beneficial solution for building owners. Instead of rebuilding, retrofitting offers a more efficient and economic way to tackle this problem.
Moreover, the technique can enhance the building's durability against other disasters, such as tornadoes, tropical cyclones, thunderstorms, and gales.
The Advantages of Seismic Retrofitting
Seismic retrofitting is a long-term investment that improves the safety and durability of a building, especially in the quake-prone areas.
By enhancing the structure, the method helps reduce the impact of earthquakes and provides better protection for the owners and their assets. Here are some advantages of seismic retrofitting you must know:
1. Strengthening the Structure
When a quake occurs, severe shaking and ground movement can cause serious damage. Yet, retrofitting helps reduce the risk of collapse and strengthens the building’s structure. This lowers the possibility of the building experiencing structural damage, making it safer to occupy.
2. Reducing Victims and Property Damages
Retrofitting reduces the risk of collapse, the number of victims, and injury due to earthquakes. In addition, this method is also effective in protecting the building from damage because quakes not only affect the main structure, but also other parts of the building.
3. Lessening the Maintenance and Repair Costs
Since retrofitting reduces damage due to quakes, the maintenance and repair costs after the disaster can be significantly lower. In addition, this way helps accelerate the restoration process so that you can use the building faster and safer.
4. Preserving the Culture and Architecture
By implementing retrofitting to cultural buildings, we can preserve the architectural heritage and cultural identities, then we can pass them to the future generation.
5. Increasing Property’s Value
Building with seismic retrofitting has higher safety, making it appealing to the tenant and buyer as well as increasing the property’s value.
Furthermore, retrofitting can also increase the chances of getting insurance protection and meeting the strict standards in applicable building regulations.
Read also: Know the Ideal Practical Column Spacing for Sturdy Building
Types of Seismic Retrofitting
There are several types of seismic retrofitting, depending on the building condition and the protection you need. Below are some of the types you can learn:
1. Base Isolation
Base isolation is one of the most famous seismic retrofitting methods. As the name suggests, this method separates the upper and base structures of the building. The separation is done by adding a bearing or shock absorber that works to handle shaking during seismic activity.
Because the structure will not move much during an earthquake, the chance of a building collapsing can be decreased. This approach is considered the most efficient passive means of controlling structural vibrations.
2. Shear Wall
Shear wall is one of the seismic retrofitting methods used to absorb and distribute lateral energy during earthquakes. A shear wall is usually placed between a building’s stories and made of steel, concrete, or reinforced brick masonry.
3. Column Jacketing
The most common retrofitting method for a building’s column is jacketing, or local retrofitting. There are some types of jackets, such as steel jackets, fiber-reinforced polymer composite (FRPC), and reinforced concrete jackets. Column jacketing works to increase the shift and bend strength of the building’s structure.
4. Steel Bracing
Steel bracing is one of the common ways to enhance a building and make it quake-resistant. By installing steel supports in crucial points, an engineer can increase the support and stability of the structure. It is effective to reduce the probability of a collapsing building during an earthquake.
5. Anchoring Walls
By adding steel connections and anchors as reinforcement, brick or concrete buildings can stay strong and avoid wall collapse during earthquakes. With the right implementation, this method can increase the structure's durability significantly and minimize the damage due to earthquakes.
Read also: Shear Wall: Functions, Types, and Its Importance in Construction
Kinds of Houses Needing Seismic Retrofitting
Not all buildings have good durability against earthquakes, especially those built before a quake-resistant construction standard existed. Here are some types of houses that are really advised to implement seismic retrofit:
- High-foundation houses: Old houses with stairs to the first story typically have a high foundation, creating a space under. This kind of structure can shift when the quake happens. Reinforcement can be done by installing anchor bolts to connect the house to the foundation.
- Stilt houses: Stilt houses are prone to shifting during the quake because the pillar structures are not bonded strongly to the land or foundation. This type of house also lacks bracing and shear walls, which work to make the building stable. Therefore, the application of seismic retrofitting is an effective solution to strengthen the structure of stilt houses.
- Houses built over the garage: Houses built over the garage have a risk of damage during the quake because the garage walls and doors are not enhanced and designed to support shaking. By implementing retrofitting on the garage, the building's durability can be increased.
- Houses on the hill’s slope: Houses on the hill’s slope or sloping land are often supported by tall, slender pillars or columns, while the walls follow the contour of the land. In many cases, the foundation must support the entire building. Though, the structure is not designed to support shaking. Retrofitting is used to strengthen the foundation and add bracing and bolts to the walls
That is the explanation of seismic retrofitting you must know. By implementing this technique, your building is more durable against earthquakes, reduces the risk of damage, and increases the safety.
One of the primary factors for this technique to be successful is by using the high-quality concrete with optimal durability and flexibility against seismic pressure. Choosing the right concrete will ensure that the structure remains sturdy and long-lasting.
To ensure durability and quality, it is important to choose the best concrete product. Through our subsidiary, Merah Putih Beton, we provide ready-to-use innovative concrete designed for various construction needs.
Our quality products, such as Merah Putih Precast Concrete and Ready Mix Concrete are ready to support stronger and more efficient construction.
Want to know more about Semen Merah Putih? Contact us now to get more information and find the best solution for your concrete needs!
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