PRESENTATION BY

S.Veeramani
Chief Engineering Manager
Larsen & Toubro Ltd – ECC Division
Chennai
 OUTLINE

• Need for earthquake resistant design

• About earthquake
• Concept of earthquake resistant design
• Planning aspect of earthquake resistant design
• Earthquake resistant design of masonry structures
• Earthquake resistant design of concrete structures
• Regulations as per NBC 2005
• Do’s & Don’ts
• Earthquake Forecasting
 An Earthquake Preparedness
• Past earthquakes in our country brought home the harsh
reality that
“EARTHQUAKES DON’T KILL PEOPLE,
BUT UNSAFE BUILDINGS DO”

• We can’t avoid future earthquakes

• But preparedness & safe building construction practices can

reduce the damage & loss

• It is mandatory for every citizen to have elementary

knowledge about
 What is an earthquake
 Forces acting on structures
 Remedial measures for structural safety
 What to do before, during & after an earthquake
Occurrence of earthquake
What causes damage to the building?
What causes damage to the building?
 What is an Earthquake?
• Earthquake is a sudden, violent shaking of the ground
(earth crust).
 Causes of Earthquake
• Plate Tectonics

• Volcanoes

• Reservoir Induced Seismicity (RIS)

• Mining

• Explosions (Chemical or nuclear)

• Landslides
 Plate Tectonics
• Earth is made up of tectonic plates driven by the heat in
the earths mantle and core.

• When these plates meet, stress accumulates.

• Eventually when enough stress accumulates, the plates

move, causing a earthquake.

• Most earthquakes are due to plate tectonics.

Picture indicating Boundaries of Plates

 Types of Earthquake and Faults
 Inter-plate Earthquake
• Occurs along the boundaries of
tectonic plates.

 Intra-plate Earthquake
• Occurs within the plate itself,
away from plate boundaries

 In both types of Earthquake,

• Slips are generated at faults,
during earthquake.
• Slips
 Along both vertical and
horizontal directions. (Dip slip)
 Along lateral directions.
(Strike slip)
Focus and Epicentre of Earthquake

• The point within earth

where faulting begins is
the focus, or hypocenter

• The point directly above

the focus on the surface
is the epicenter
 Formation of Present World
(by Plate Tectonics)

• The number in the lower right represents millions of

years ago.
• The moving pointer indicates the ages in geological
nomenclature.
 Modern and Future World
(by Plate Tectonics)

Present World After 50 Million Years

After 150 Million Years After 250 Million Years

 Plate Tectonics in India
 Why do Plates move ?
• Flow of hot and less hot rock and
material inside the earth.
• The warm material wants to move up
(warm air rises, cold will drop)
pushing it's way through the other
material, causing these vibrations.
• Indian plate currently moving north-
east at 5cm / yr.

Picture indicating Plate Boundary

 Other Causes of Earthquake
 Volcanoes
• Moving magma below the earth's surface, pushing it's way
through causes volcanoes.
• The minor earthquakes due to these volcanoes are regular
and won't cause much damage.

 Reservoir Induced Seismicity

• The mass of water in a reservoir alters the pressure in the
rock below, which can trigger earthquakes.
• Reservoir-induced seismic events can be relatively large
compared to other forms of induced seismicity.
 Other Causes of Earthquake
 Mining
• Mining leaves voids that can alter the balance of forces in
the rock, triggering earthquakes.

 Explosion (Chemical or Nuclear)

• Nuclear explosion might trigger a bigger earthquake than
otherwise would have appeared naturally (or)
• Lead to earthquakes that otherwise would not have
occurred at all.

 Land slides
• It is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range
of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of
slopes and shallow debris flows
 Seismic Waves
 Body Waves
• Travel through the interior of the earth.
• Divided into two types
 P-Waves ( Longitudinal or Compressional waves)
speed = 4800 m/sec
 S-Waves ( Transverse or Shear waves)
speed = 58% of P- Waves
 Seismic Waves
 Surface Waves
• Travel over the earth’s surface.

• Causes most of damage.

• Divided into two types

 R-Waves ( Rayleigh waves )
 L-Waves ( Love waves)
 Earthquake measurement
 Magnitude
• Quantity to measure the size of an earthquake in terms of
its energy.
• Independent of the place of the observation.
• It is measured by Richter Scale.

 Intensity
• Rating of the effects of an earthquake based on the
observations of the affected areas.
• Dependent on the place of the observation.
• It is measured by Mercalli Scale.
 Richter Scale
 Technical description
• It is a base-10 logarithmic scale obtained by calculating the
logarithm of the combined horizontal amplitude of the
largest displacement from zero on a seismometer output.
• The magnitude of the earthquake, M, is given by:
M = log10A + 3log10(8Δt − 2.92)
where ‘A’ is amplitude in millimeters and ‘t’ is time in
seconds.
• For example,
 Magnitude 5 has 10 times greater displacement than
magnitude 4.
 Energy of Earthquake is proportional to Square root of cube of
amplitude (i.e.) 103/2 of energy for every 1 increment of
magnitude.
 Mercalli Scale
 Assign a numeric value to a location based on
• Ground shaking perception.
• Performance of building.
• Changes in natural surroundings.
 Shaanxi – The Deadliest Earthquake
 Deadliest earthquake on record
killing 8,30,000 people.

 Occurrence
• Morning of 23rd January 1556 in
Shaanxi, China.

 Epicenter
• Hua county near Mount Hua in
Shaanxi (Latitude 34.5,
Longitude 109.7).

 Magnitude : 8

 No. of countries affected :

97 countries in the provinces of
Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Gansu,
Hebei, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan,
Jiangsu and Anhui

 Area destroyed : 520 mile wide area.

 Aftershocks
• Continued several times a month
for half a year.
Recent Earthquakes and its effects
on India
• 2001, Gujarat Earthquake (Bhuj)

• 2004, Indian Ocean Earthquake

(Tsunami on India)
Bhuj Earthquake
Bhuj District Hospital
2004 – Indian Ocean Earthquake
Effect of Tsunami on Marina
 Design Approach
 Design approach are as follows, (Cl. 6.1.3 – IS1893)

• Structure possess at least a minimum strength to withstand

minor earthquake (<DBE), which occur frequently, without
damage;
• Resist moderate earthquake (DBE) without significant
structural damage though some non-structural damage may
occur;
• Aims that structures withstand a major earthquake (MCE)
without collapse.

 Actual force due to EQ is much larger than the code specified

Design Force.

Counteracting Property in Structure

• Ductility – Arising from inelastic material behavior and
detailing.
• Over strength – additional reserve strength above the
design strength.
Critical Structures for Earthquake
 [ From IS 1893 (Part 1) : 2002 ]
• For the purpose of determining seismic forces, the
country is classified into 4 seismic zones.
• The design horizontal seismic coefficient Ah for a
structure shall be determined by
Ah = Z I S a
2Rg
Provided that for any
structure with T≤0.1s, the
value of Ah will not be
taken less than Z/2
whatever be the value
of I/R
 [ From IS 1893 (Part 1) : 2002 ]
 Zone factor (Z):
It is a factor to obtain the design spectrum depending on
the perceived maximum seismic risk characterised by
Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCE) in the zone in
which the structure is located.
 [ From IS 1893 (Part 1) : 2002 ]

 Importance factor (I):

It is a factor used to obtain

the design seismic force
depending on the functional
use of the structure,
characterized by hazardous
consequences of its failure,
its post-earthquake
functional need, historic
value, or economic
importance.
 [ From IS 1893 (Part 1) : 2002 ]
 Sa/g = Average response acceleration coefficient
 [ From IS 1893 (Part 1) : 2002 ]
 R = Response reduction factor
 Bad Configurations
• Tall: Horizontal movement is large
• Long: The damaging effects during earthquake
shaking are many
• Short: The horizontal seismic forces can be excessive
to be carried by columns and walls.
Horizontal Layout
 L-Shape Building

Damage to floor
slabs & columns

4-Storey Residential
Building in Bhuj
 U-Shape Building

•Tall ground storey

•Nonductile columns 5-Storey Building
•Asymmetric configuration in Bhuj
•Weak infills
 Amplified Torsion

Swimming pool
on the corner of
11-Storey Building in
flexible part Ahmedabad
 Vertical Layout

Sloped Ground Floating Columns

Discontinuing Structural Members

Vertical Layout

Setbacks

Tall Storey

Weak/Soft Storey
 Solution
Architects and structural
engineers must work together to
ensure that the unfavorable
features are avoided and a good
building configuration is chosen,
at the planning stage itself.
 General Characteristics
 Masonry buildings are brittle structures.
 The structural configuration of masonry buildings includes aspect
like,
• Overall shape & size of the building.
• Distribution of mass & lateral load resisting elements across the
building.
 Ground vibrations during earthquakes cause inertia forces & travel
through the roof and wall to the foundation.
 The walls are most vulnerable to damage caused by horizontal
forces due to earthquake
 General Characteristics
• Horizontal inertia force developed at the roof transfers to
the wall acting either in the weak or in the strong direction.
• A wall topples down easily if pushed horizontally at the top
in a direction perpendicular to its plane.
• But offers much greater resistance if pushed along its
length.
 Openings in the walls
• Location & size of openings in walls
assume significance in deciding the
performance of masonry buildings.

• Walls transfer loads to each other at

their junctions.

• Masonry courses from the walls

meeting at corners must have good
interlocking.

• Openings too close to wall corners

hamper the flow of forces from one
wall to another.
 Openings in the walls
• Large openings weaken
walls from carrying the
inertia forces in their own
plane.

• It is best to keep all

openings as small as
possible and far away
from the corners as
possible.
 Improve behavior of brick masonry
• If all the walls are not tied together like a box, the walls loaded in their
weak direction tend to topple.
• To ensure good seismic performance, all walls must be joined properly to
the adjacent walls.
• In this way, walls loaded in their weak direction can take advantage of the
good lateral resistance offered by walls loaded in their strong direction.
• Walls also need to be tied to the roof & foundation to preserve their
overall integrity
Improve behavior of brick masonry
 Box Action
• A strategy is used in developing good box action between
structural elements of the building (ie) roof, walls &
foundation.
• Loosely connected roof or slender walls are threats to good
seismic behavior.
• Horizontal band introduced at the lintel level ties the walls
together and helps to make them behave as a single unit.
 Provisions of openings
• Size & position of openings
 Provisions of openings

D – Two storey with flat roof & one storey plus attic for
pitched roof

E - Three storey with flat roof & Two storey plus attic for
pitched roof
 Horizontal bands
 Bands are provided to hold a masonry building as
a single unit by tying all the walls together.

 Types of bands
• Gable band
• Roof band
• Lintel band
• Plinth band
Horizontal bands
 Vertical reinforcement
• Vertical reinforcement bars have to be started from the
foundation concrete.

• It passes through all seismic bands where they will be tied

to the band reinforcements using binding wire and
embedded to the ceiling band/roof slab as the case may be,
using a 300mm with 90° bend.
Earthquake Resistant staircase
 Guidelines for earthquake resistant
RCC buildings
Design Steps
1. Site analysis
• Earthquake Zone These parameters
• Ground Slope should be noted carefully
• Soil Type
• Ground Water Table
• Building bye-laws
• Surroundings
2. Selection of shape & plan of building
• A regular grid plan symmetric about both axes should be
selected
• The building should have regularity of lateral stiffness along
the height
• Dissimilar portions should be separated by separation joints
3. Preliminary design
• Preliminary dimensions of members should be selected,
keeping in view the regularity of stiffness
 Guidelines for earthquake resistant
RCC buildings
4. Load calculation
• Dead load, live load and wind load should be estimated as
per IS 875:1987 and earthquake as per IS 1893:1984
5. Analysis of structure
• A computer program having space-frame model with proper
rigid/flexible floor diaphragm modeling is recommended.
• The member forces should be obtained for the following
load combinations:
 1.5 (DL+IL)
 1.2 (DL+IL±EL/WL)
 1.5 (DL±EL/WL)
 0.9DL ± 1.5EL/WL
6. Member design
• Beams & columns should be designed as per IS 456:2000
 Guidelines for earthquake resistant
RCC buildings

7. Foundation design
• A suitable foundation type should be selected based on
the height of the building, seismic zone and bearing
capacity of soil
• Raft foundation is preferable
• If isolated footings are provided, these must be
connected together by tie beams

8. Ductile detailing
• Detailing of beams, columns and joints should be as per
IS 13920:1993
Weak beam and strong column design
Foundation for
RC framed buildings
Anchorage
of
stirrups
 Building Approval
 Every owner who tends to erect or re-erect building shall get
building permit from Authorities

 The submission shall have

• Site plan,
• Key plan,
• Specification,
• Structural sufficiency certificate
• Certificate of supervision

 All plans, specifications & certificates to be signed & issued by

registered engineers or architects

 Application for notice, plan specifications, certificates are all

available in a prescribed format
 Engineers & Supervisors
 A qualified engineer or structural engineer or supervisor, working in
the construction of a building, should be registered by the Authority or
by the body governing such profession.

 Minimum qualification for a structural engineer

• Should be a graduate in civil engineering in any recognized
university
• Minimum 3yrs experience in structural engineering field.

 Minimum qualification for a supervisor

• Shall be diploma in civil engineering or the qualification in
architecture
• 5yrs experience in building design, construction & supervision.
 Competence
 The registered engineer/structural engineer shall be competent
to carry out work related to building/development permit as
follows:
• All plans & information connected with building permit
• Preparation of structural design, calculation & detail of all
buildings
• Structural details & calculation of buildings on plot upto
500m2 and upto 5 storey or 16m in height
• Issuing certificate of supervision & completion for all
buildings
• Preparation of all service plan
• Issuing certificate of supervision for development of land
What to do BEFORE an earthquake?
What to do BEFORE an earthquake?
What to do DURING an earthquake?
What to do DURING an earthquake?
What to do AFTER an earthquake?
What to do AFTER an earthquake?
 Prediction & Prevention of Earthquake

 Scientists at the University of California

• Claimed an earthquake approximately 6.5 on the Richter
scale will occur in Southern California by September 2004.
• It didn’t happen.

 Seismologists conclusion
• Seismologists like Robert J.Geller from Tokyo University
claimed
 It is practically impossible to predict earthquakes.

 It is unwise to invest heavily in monitoring possible

precursors of upcoming earthquakes.

 Prediction & Prevention of Earthquake
 Israeli Company (Terramoto)
• Claiming for predicting earthquake.
• Preventing some of them.

 Terramoto’s three stage method for predicting and detecting

earthquake.
• Mapping
• Predicting
• Preventing

 Mapping
• Geophones (special microphones) are buried in
ground at different stations along fault line.
• Locating points in ground where pressure is building up.
• If energy release at station 1 = energy release at station 2,
then in-between points have same energy accumulated.
 Prediction & Prevention of Earthquake
 Predicting
• Ultrasound survey – locate specific rock where pressure is
accumulated.
• Ultrasound scan – size and shape of rock.
• Drilling equipment – strength of rock.
• Two lasers – relative velocity of two plates.
• Advanced mathematic models
– how much pressure the rock could endure.

 Preventing
• High magnitude earthquake predicted.
• Drill upto 10 kms inside the ground and
place explosives.
• Series of controlled blasts to weaken the rock.
• Relieve the built up energy accumulated over years.
 Earthquake Forecasting
• Foreshocks

• Accumulated offset along a fault reaching a certain amount, an

earthquake may be imminent.

• Accumulated tilt of the earth's surface across a fault may

forecast an earthquake.

• As rocks begin to crack, there is a release of radon gas into

the groundwater. On monitoring the presence of radon in
water, an earthquake could be predicted.