Earthquake-proof Architecture
On May 4, acla:works director, Gary Turton, delivered a paper at the Global Earthquake Model [GEM] Conference co-sponsored by the UWI Seismic Research Centre. Held at the Kapok Hotel in Port of Spain, the conference was a regional launch of GEM – a global collaborative effort to establish uniform and open standards for calculating and communicating earthquake risk worldwide. [Download full programme and book of abstracts here.]
Engineer Tony Gibbs, a regionally-based expert on earthquakes, chaired the panel discussion that Gary sat on entitled, “Architecture and the Safety and Vulnerability of Buildings in Earthquake Zones.” Gary’s talk, “Seismo-resistant Architecture” examined the critical role architects play in the design of buildings in seismic zones, since building composition – which is established primarily by architects – greatly determines a building’s ability to withstand earthquakes.
Above: GEM workshop participants. Image © UWI.
Gary recognized a potentially unfortunate fact that “Caribbean Architects and Engineers, while we may not be able to convince lawmakers of the criticality of prioritizing building code legislation before being faced with a devastating earthquake event, must persist in this pursuit as well as lead building innovation in seismo-resistant architecture in this part of the world, as we are vulnerable to earthquake devastation.”
The role of the architect and engineer in protecting the lives of people is underscored in the wake of natural disaster. After the earthquake in Port-au-Prince last year, the Haitian government, with the support of the international community, began to translate the International Building Code [IBC] to French for use in the reconstruction effort and for a better built environment in the future for Haitians. This is the same code that CARICOM nations have been unsuccessful in adapting to our conditions for years now, even though it is already in English.
On the other hand, Japan – despite devastation in Sendai from a tsunami – has buildings that withstood the largest earthquake in its recorded history [9.0 on the Richter scale], thanks to continuous innovation in earthquake resistant design, and evolution of the country's standards and codes over the course of its unfortunate history of earthquake devastation and war.
Gary presented standards and strategies in which architects should be versed in, in order to increase a building’s earthquake resistant capacity. Early incorporation into the building design would not only make the design process more economical [as it is shared with structural engineers], but also encourage a better integration of structural and architectural design. This could lead to truly inspiring building expressions, comparable to some of the exemplary works around the world by leading architect - engineer collaborations.
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