Delhi and Earthquakes

Delhi and Earthquakes

On April 26 2015 Delhi was shaken, there was tremors early in the morning which resulted in no harm, but the city is definitely on back foot after the incident. The tremors where experienced by people living in small houses to large apartments and flats in Delhi for sale. This is considered to be the aftershock of the quake which occurred a few days back in Nepal. The incident has put a lot of people into speculation mode .Experts say that if an earthquake likes Nepal happens in Delhi or any other part of India 70 percentage of the country will be wiped off. Delhi is amongst the cities which has the highest risk of being affected.

Delhi and Earthquakes

The home ministry in the country has plans of launching campaigns for creating wakefulness amongst public to build earthquake resistant buildings .This plan has been launched after warnings by experts that if these are not built India also can very well go down like Nepal if hit by a major quake in the future.

Earthquakes of high intensity can be survived only by well designed structures. The timing of an earthquake can’t be predicted exactly but by taking corrective measures we can avoid property loss and most importantly Loss of life. Here are few guidelines and solutions the homeowners should keep in mind to prevent and damage and loss.

Regular Inspection

The routine which should be regularly followed by any homeowner is to inspect the house and if any problems (weaknesses, cracks on walls etc) are there and these needs to be rectified with the help of a structural engineer.

Level of Moisture

Soil and the condition of water affects base of any building. The Moisture levels at the foundation should be always kept in check by the owner. They should make sure that the rainwater runs into the drainage and does not seep into the soil at the base of the building.

Benefits of cripple wall

The wooden stud walls on the foundation lying outside are called cripple walls .the whole weight of the building is carried by this and they create a place to crawl. These walls have shock absorbing properties and protect the building from collapse.Invigorating plywood in between these walls provides extra stability.

Load bearing frames

The type of walls made using bricks, clay tiles etc is called a masonry wall. These are weak and are not resistant to quakes. These can cause a lot of damage during the quakes. These kinds of walls if fitted with frame of steel would correct the structural concern.

Techniques to build quake resistant structures.

Is the construction of earthquake proof buildings possible?? It is indeed possible but it costs a massive sum to build one.

People are not killed by earthquakes but the badly built buildings that collapse during a quake kill them. Always care should be taken while constructing any kind of building. Here are some ways to construct quake resistant buildings.

  • If a building is in cylindrical shape it withstands wind unlike any other structures.
  • Aerodynamics should be always considered by an architect while constructing a Flat or a high rise apartment.
  • There should be a balance in the whole building, and no awkward shapes should be built in height.
  • The traverse between the columns should be as little as possible.
  • The flats should be a strengthened structure on a concrete frame, in this way stability is guaranteed.
  • The foundation of the building should be always kept on hard surfaces.
  • In Small buildings the size of the windows should not be too large; it in turn weakens the whole structure.