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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Sudden collapse of buildings without warning is one of the biggest threat we are

facing when a natural calamity like earthquake occurs. Earthquake is a disaster that shakes

the surface of the earth and causes a major damage both on humans and infrastructures.

Millions of lives are lost due to “failing” structural elements of the buildings. There are

cases when beams and walls collapse without any signs of crumbling like cracks. The

researchers aim to find a way to alarm or notify people if there is a problem in the steel

reinforcement concrete beams and walls before, during and after a massive force. This

force may cause stresses large enough to make a building collapse or experience crumbling

damage.

Structures like buildings and other infrastructure are maintained and inspected

throughout their service life to guarantee their safe operation. Common damage detectors

are modal based which easily detects damage but it is not always reliable. Because of its

modal type, it can be altered or detect disturbances unrelated to the reinforced concrete

beams because of its sensitivity to nature. 1 The use of radio-hazard type detectors, will be

basis for the harmful effects it can bring and the wave frequencies emitting from the

reinforced steel bars are used to detect the deflection that it was experiencing, and find the

damaged part of the structural elements.

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Background of the Study

Crumbling of concrete structures consisting of steel bars with the absence of signs

like cracks are few of the major problems infrastructures experiences that will be triggered

when earthquake occurs. It is in this aspect that the researchers would like to design an

earthquake vibration and wave frequency damage detector which is critically needed to

help maintain the safety and serviceability of structural elements. Before a major calamity

occurs, People need to check or inspect the structural elements. During earthquake it will

notify and alarm people where an instant rupture or sudden collapse will occur, so that

people know when and where top evacuate and give enough time to think. As for after the

earthquake, people are not sure if the surviving buildings can actually hold the structural

elements. People should check whether they can go back to their houses or not.

Engineers use the concept of earthquake analysis to make an earthquake resistant

building to provide a much more reliable infrastructures but Engineers cannot make an

earthquake proof building. As the technology develop, the development of concept

regarding the the sustainability of building to earthquake also improves. There are cases of

massive earthquake to the extent that the structural elements experiences damage. The

researchers are focusing on reinforced concrete beams because buildings most of them are

designed to have a strong column but weak beams to reduce the dead load it will carry and

pass to the other structural elements. According to Colleen Kirsten Cagurangan, The

concept of the Strong-Column Weak-Beam (SCWB) that has been introduced to us by

different codes and provisions, is for columns to reduce its yielding in the upper floors in

moment-resisting frames.2 So if the weak beam is suddenly been applied with force it will

be the first one to crumble.

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There are detectors using modal based but it was critical because it can receive

other signal such as environmental factors because of the sensitivity to environment which

is unrelated to the damage using vibration and wave, it can be sense wave frequency of the

deforming or damaging reinforced steel bars to give us notification if it happens.3 With the

help of various method of acquiring the location of the damage part of the Structural

elements the researchers will evaluate the wave frequency and wave propagation of signals.

Objective of the Study

In general sense, this study will be focus on the design and development of a device

that can detect the damage of the reinforced steel bars using algorithms.

Specifically, the researchers would like to evaluate the simulated earthquake

vibration and wave frequency type signal that will be used to detect the damage using

algorithms.

Scope and Delimitations

This study focus on the deflection of the reinforced steel bars due to a simulation

of earthquake vibration. It will cover the damage it has before, during and after the

simulation.

This study is limited to structural elements of infrastructures and not to the whole

building.

There are multiple ways of acquiring signal from steel bars but this study covers

the vibration and wave frequency propagation of signals. The Geographical location is
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bounded inside the Philippines and covers the seismic Zone 4 (The entire Philippines

except Palawan and Tawi- Tawi located on Zone 2).

Significance of the Study

Natural phenomenon like earthquake may occur anywhere and anytime. Therefore

engineers build infrastructures in a way that they are safe during such occurrence in accord

with the proper design in the codes.

Students. This will strengthen the knowledge of engineering student to earthquake

related topic such as structural analysis, design of structural elements and the disaster like

earthquake causes damages not only to the people but also to the infrastructures.

Structural Engineers. The present study can contribute in the maintenance and

inspection that the structural engineers conduct to buildings to ensure the safe operation.

Community. The vibration and wave frequency damage device notify people where

the parts of the structural elements are subjected to excessive amount of force or load that

it cannot withstand.

Future Researchers. This study will contribute in giving new knowledge and data

for future investigators and researchers who will gather the same or similar information on

the earthquake related studies using damage detector device.

Definition of Terms

For the purpose of this study, the following terminologies are defined:
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Structural elements. These are elements used in structural analysis to split major structures

into simple elements. It may include both external and internal load bearing walls, columns

of concrete, steel beams, trusses, girders and many more.

Algorithms. This refers to a damage type program that is considered as a set of program

procedures or formula for solving a problem or a sequence of specified actions to evacuate

variables.
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Referrences
1
Masri,E.E.,Ferguson,N.&Waters,T.,(2017).Detecting damaged reinforced bars in

concrete structures using guided waves. [PDF file].Elsevier Ltd..Retrieved from

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/41

2926/1/EURODYN6.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiF4uvEpKvgAhXXzmEKHWL0CE4QFjACeg

QIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw0fkgKv6fdIrPkYSxprfZPb,p.1
2
Cagurangan C.K., (2015). Effect of Strong-Column Weak-Beam Ratios on

Collapse Capacities of Tall Reinforced Concrete Moment Frame Structures.[PDF

file].California,Berkeley:Author.Retrievedfrom:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc

e=web&rct=j&url=http://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/etd/ucb/text/Cagurangan_berkeley

_0028E_15313.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwic3dPtnqvgAhWSQd4KHb3aDO4QFjADegQIChA

B&usg=AOvVaw17n7SZqLNo0AUqabQ_8Ljd
3
Masri,E.E,Ferguson,n.&Waters,t.,op.cit.,p.1