Buildings resistant to earthquakes and disasters

Obtaining buildings resistant to earthquakes and disasters represents a sustainable way of construction for Japan.

In this article, we give the example of Japan because it is the most eloquent. But recent climate changes show us that all societies should follow suit.

Japan is one of the countries most prone to earthquakes in the world. After experiencing the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995 and the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Japan is opting for the construction of buildings that are resistant to earthquakes and tsunamis.

A sustainable society also means building buildings resistant to earthquakes and tsunamis. Even if they are destroyed, they can be easily repaired and used after the disaster.

WHY DO WE NEED EARTHQUAKE AND DISASTER RESISTANT BUILDINGS

Recent climate change has led to an increase in the number of disasters on a larger scale than previously anticipated, such as giant typhoons, torrential rains, river insurgents and landslides.

Demand for disaster-resistant buildings continues to grow amid efforts to make Japan’s social infrastructure sustainable.

Steel producers strive to create a sustainable infrastructure. This is achieved by developing and supplying high-performance steel materials. Also, the development of design/construction technologies for their use in disaster-resistant structural steel buildings.

Often the damage sustained during major earthquakes caused the welded joints at the ends of the steel beams to break. Thus the buildings become unusable.

In order to improve earthquake resistance, steel types have been developed that ensure a high plastic deformation capacity and energy absorption performance.

Japanese steel frame buildings are not made entirely of steel. They often have composite structures that combine concrete and steel. For example, most columns in Japanese skyscrapers are CFT (concrete-filled tubular) columns. These CFT columns are constructed by pouring concrete into circular or square steel tubes to form support columns.

Nippon Steel is the Japanese manufacturer, no. 3 worldwide, which produces high strength steel for CFT poles. With the help of these high-strength steels, the size of the cross-section and the weight of the pillars are reduced. In this way, the amount of CO 2 emissions is also reduced.

The goal of optimizing and maximizing structural efficiency by combining different materials will help reduce the materials used and achieve sustainability.