ABSTRACT OUTLINE

Home where you should feel safe, trust, and relax could break down by seismic activity if your home is not an earthquake proof or "seismically isolated" design building.
How to reinforce and design a home for disaster victims such as Japan, Haiti, Chile, and California and what type methods could be apply to the building.

I feel earthquakes are on the increase by looking at some news on the internet and watching on TV. But there is no evidence that eathquakes are becoming more freaquent, it is simply that more eathquakes are being recorded, especially a small one. Besides large scale of seismic activity is occured constantly. Latest major earthquake occurred off the coast of the Maule Region of Chile on February 27, 2010 and killed more that 300 people. And massive earthquake occured in Haiti on January 12th 2010 killed at least 200,000 people and so many people lost their homes. What if their home were managed to withstand until people evacuated?

For the traditional wood constructed house,

Earthquake proof design building is to reinforce the structure of the building such as placing diagonal bracing and reinforce the joint. (Rest is still in progress)

Introducing the "Seismically isolated" design house.
The seismic isolator reduces side to side movement from the earthquake.
Damper, Rubber steel isolator, etc..
Latest isolator call air isolator. I will describe the function and price for individual isolator.

Air Isolator

I found a latest technology for the seismic isolator call "AIR ISOLATOR"
What if a house float in the air when earthquake occurred?The Air seismic isolator is a device that floats the floor board on the base like the hovercraft momentarily at the time of occurred the earthquake. And it reduces side to side movement to a building.
The principle of operation is to blow a compress air saved in the air tank between boards and the base to float. It absorbs the shake due to working like the air cushion and the earthquake.

Thesis Question

Here is my thesis question. I am not sure if this is good enough.

"How to reinforce and design a home for disaster victims and what type methods could be apply to the building."

Difference between earthquake resistance building and seismically isolated building

An earthquake resistance building is designed to bear and withstand earthquakes. Because of an earthquakes enormous energy as it reaches a building, damages to structure and personal property can be devastating, such as Haiti in January 12 of 2010. This is not the case when compared to a “seismically isolated building”. The structure does not collapse for a longer period of time, allowing residents to evacuate safely. Had residence in Haiti had more time to evacuate, perhaps the mortality rate would be much less then it was?

A “seismically isolated building” is designed by placing a special device call an isolator or damper to the foundation of the building. This results in the reduction of the earthquakes forces. These devices actually almost stop, or dampen completely, all side to side movement of a building during an earthquake. This stops the building from tearing apart and allows for people a safe passage when evacuating.

Here is the clip for the earthquake resistance building test in Japan.
Building on the left side is the one without earthquake resistance technology and on the right side of the building is the one with earthquake resistant technology. Please note the difference in side side movement of the non protected building compared to the building using earth quake resistant technology. Please turn off the volume because of the Japanese guy speaking on this clip!!

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

WHAT IS THE MOST PRACTICAL METHOD FOR BUILDING LOW COST EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT HOUSING FOR EARTHQUAKE NATION CITY LIKE HAITI.

Yusuke Endo

ARET222

PURPOSE

To maximize the amount of earthquake resistant buildings, in order to reduce the terrifying threat and amount of damages that happened in Haiti.

STATEMENT

................ Still in progress

GOALS

To introduce the different type of seismic proof methods.

METHODOLOGY + ANALYTICAL APPROACH

Find enough sources using library and internet to support my topic and update blog.

THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL IS STILL IN PROGRESS.........

Welcome to my blog

This blog is a class project of an applied research report for ARET program (Architecture and Engineering Technology) in Thompson Rivers university.

The requirement of this project is to gather some information about my topic which associates to my program using written document by internet, academic sources from library, and magazines.
And update the blog weekly.

Hopefully I can share some information and gain some ideas using this blog.