research

earthquakes

development of earthquake-resistant building types

using local available materials (traditional building types)

fig. 1 construction type "Pakhsa" in Uzbekistan
fig. 2 construction type "Sinsch" in Uzbekistan

steel-frame constructions (project SEQD – Steel Earthquake Design)

Past experience has shown that steel is a favourable construction material for earthquake-resistant buildings. Nevertheless some unexpected damage cases have ocurred on steel structures due to seismic impacts, as for instance in Bam 2003.

Previously most steel structures have been designed for industrial buildings, bridges and high storey buildings; there are no solutions for small buildings applied on a significant scale. The SEQD -Steel Earthquake Design- project aims to provide a safe and economic solution for this sector.

fig. 3 Ground floor failure of an Iranian steel building
fig. 4 Masonry fallen out of steel structure after earthquake of magnitude 6.6 in Bam (Iran) on Dec. 2003
fig. 5 Visualized architecture model of single family home for Turkish market
fig. 6 Modelling and analysis of single family home for Turkish market

At the beginning of October 2004 a new innovative steel system was tested in an assembly hall of the Rudolstädter Stahlbau GmbH. The first test line was dedicated to verifying the deformability of the system and the functionality of the uniaxial coupling. In the second test line the strength and deformability of the masonry and adobe walls, reinforced with two different polymer grids, was analysed.

fig. 7 Principle approach of verifying the deformability of the system
fig. 8 Strength and deformability test of a masonry walls, reinforced with polymer grids

references

Schwarz, J., Kaufmann, Ch., Langhammer, T., Swain, T.M., Khakimov, Sh., Tulaganov, B. (2004): Evaluation and strengthening of public buildings after the Kamashi (Uzbekistan) earthquakes in 2000 and 2001. Proceedings of the 13th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (WCEE), Vancouver/Canada 2004. Paper No. 222.

Schwarz, J., Kaufmann, Ch., Langhammer, T., Swain, T.M., Khakimov, Sh., Tulaganov, B. (2004): Evaluation and strengthening of public buildings after the Kamashi (Uzbekistan) earthquakes in 2000 and 2001. LEHM 2004 - 4th International Conference on Building with Earth, Dachverband Lehm, 234--247.

Geenen, E.M. (2004): Die Bauweise und die Wohnkultur in erdbebengefährdeten Gebieten der Türkei, Bericht zu projektbezogenen Recherchen im Rahmen des Forschungsvorhabens Steel Earthquake Design, Kiel/Germany, June 2004.

Swain T.M., Burkhardt A., Friedrich T., Schwarz J., Werner F., Nöthlich P., Batzke H. (2004): Research Project SEQD – Steel Earthquake Design – Residential Construction in Earthquake Areas by Combining Steel and Local Building Materials, contribution to the international workshop "Earthquake-resistant construction and conservation with local materials in Central Asia", International Conference Center of the Bauhaus-University Weimar, November 1 to 2, 2004.

Burkhardt A., Friedrich T., Swain T.M., Schwarz J., Werner F., Nöthlich P., Batzke H. (2005): Sachbericht zum Verbund-Forschungsprojekt: "Steel Earthquake Design", Entwicklung eines Baukastensystems für kostengünstige erdbebengerechte Wohnbauten mit stählernem Tragwerk, Kooperation des Erdbebenzentrums und der Professur Stahlbau der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar mit der Rudolstädter Stahlbau GmbH, Weimar, Deutschland, Januar 2005.

earthquakes

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