Are buildings designed for seismic performance?
Concrete

Are buildings designed for seismic performance?

A survey reported by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has found that in the past 25 years, over 25,000 human fatalities were caused primarily by the collapse of buildings during earthquakes (2015). Reports also indicate that the observed performance of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings is highly unsatisfactory. While a well-designed RC building should be able to withstand an earthquake of up to 7.5 on the Richter scale, during the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat, RC buildings collapsed from an earthquake of just 6 on the Richter scale.

According to Dr Paresh Shah, Professor & Dean, Faculty of Technology, CEPT University, “Many designers do not have enough expertise for earthquake-resistant design or ductile detailing of structures; so, their designed structures may be unsafe in case of an earthquake of larger magnitude.”

And Dr Pramod Kumar Gupta, Professor, Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT-Roorkee, says, “We have seen the performance of different buildings constructed at different places over the past 100 years. The intensity of earthquakes at different places is not same.”

SHRIYAL SETHUMADHAVAN

A survey reported by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has found that in the past 25 years, over 25,000 human fatalities were caused primarily by the collapse of buildings during earthquakes (2015). Reports also indicate that the observed performance of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings is highly unsatisfactory. While a well-designed RC building should be able to withstand an earthquake of up to 7.5 on the Richter scale, during the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat, RC buildings collapsed from an earthquake of just 6 on the Richter scale. According to Dr Paresh Shah, Professor & Dean, Faculty of Technology, CEPT University, “Many designers do not have enough expertise for earthquake-resistant design or ductile detailing of structures; so, their designed structures may be unsafe in case of an earthquake of larger magnitude.” And Dr Pramod Kumar Gupta, Professor, Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT-Roorkee, says, “We have seen the performance of different buildings constructed at different places over the past 100 years. The intensity of earthquakes at different places is not same.” SHRIYAL SETHUMADHAVAN

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code