A high-rise building design coming out of the University of British Columbia won't produce pushovers, but the structures will have some much-needed sway.
It's part of a construction strategy described by the designers as a "next-gen" way for the tall human-holders to safely withstand earthquakes. In fact, structural engineering professor Tony Yang said in a CTV News story that the breakthrough "could mean buildings are damage-free."
"So now, more than just protecting people's lives, we're protecting the next most important thing — their financial investments, which is their homes," Yang said in the report.
The expert added that buildings in Vancouver are mostly made to save lives during tremendous tremors, but not the structures. High-rises that also survive disasters can save billions of dollars in destruction. There's an estimated $14.7 billion in earthquake property damage each year in the U.S. alone, according to government data.
The shaking happens when giant rock masses miles underground, called tectonic plates, collide. The world's deadliest recorded earthquake was in China in 1556, killing 830,000 people who lived in caves that collapsed. But they continue to happen worldwide. Southern California experiences about 10,000 each year. Thankfully, most of them are too small to notice, all per the U.S. Geological Survey.
The UBC system's main way to cope with shaking is flexibility. Rocking foundations, dampers, and outriggers absorb energy instead of rigidly resisting it. A 30-story scale model was tested on a shaking table at the International Joint Research Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering in Shanghai.
The model was subjected to rigorous analysis using 100 simulated quakes. Some were very intense, while others were long-lasting, all per the UBC release.
"At this scale, we can realistically simulate how a full-sized building behaves during an earthquake, giving us solid data for future construction," Yang said in the statement.
Insurance premiums in certain areas are spiking, or coverage is disappearing, because of disaster and severe storm risk exposure. Increased chances for extreme weather are linked by NASA to our planet's overheating. And while earthquakes can't be prevented, shifting to cleaner energy and building practices can help cut planet-warming fume production.
Durable structures that survive disasters prevent the need for concrete and steel to replace them, for example. Production of those building materials accounts for about 16% of global heat-trapping fumes, according to Columbia University.
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No way 😨 Experts in Ecuador are working on a new concrete mix that's lighter and requires less energy to make, while also maintaining integrity for earthquake zones. It's part of innovations being developed around the world using sustainable resources that match or improve traditional materials' durability. An earthen home built in Morocco can withstand seismic activity, as another example.
Other unique architecture leverages natural elements such as shade, sunlight, and breezes to more efficiently heat, cool, and strengthen buildings. Solar panels and improved weatherization, including weather stripping, are upgrades that can be added to most homes. They cut power bills and are eligible for tax breaks in the U.S.
For UBC's part, its high-rise design provides a lighter structure and results in less stress on its concrete core thanks to built-in self-stabilization, per the experts.
"We have demonstrated that the technology works, and it can be readily implemented into any project from here on out," Yang said in the CTV report.
The next step is bringing the innovation to commercialization.
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