The basic prerequisite of a skyscraper is resilience against environmental dangers. Without a proper account of hazardous natural disasters, the risk of injuries in the event of an earthquake increases significantly. While these exist as global issues, countries such as Japan suffer more than others regarding disadvantageous environmental conditions.
Jun Sato, a structural engineer and associate professor at the University of Tokyo once said, “All buildings – even if they are small or temporary structures – must be resilient to earthquakes in the country.” Japan is located very close to the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, otherwise known as the most active earthquake belt in the world. Because of this, Japan regularly suffers from earthquakes. To counteract these unavoidable natural disasters, Japanese engineers have integrated multiple solutions for removing earthquake hazards.
Seismic Isolation
Japanese skyscrapers are developed with a specific mechanism that is designed to absorb the energy generated through earthquakes, and diminish the force exerted by the earthquake. One way this is done is through the theory of seismic isolation, which surrounds the base of the building with a thick layer of a shock absorbing material, such as rubber, isolating the energy of the earthquake and making it dormant.
Motion Dampeners
Other forms of prevention include motion dampeners, which are pumps filled with liquid, placed around the structure of the building. This is done to reduce vibrations in the building, because the force required to push the pump filled with liquid is far greater than the energy of earthquake vibrations.
Conclusion
While it seems that current buildings have been re-engineered to survive devastating earthquakes, research shows that with due time, earthquake magnitudes are gradually increasing. This brings the question of whether buildings can sustain under increasing earthquake force. The future of architecture built to withstand earthquakes remains uncertain, but the current state of earthquake-proof buildings remains functioning.
Works Cited
Henriques, M. (2019, January 16). How Japan’s skyscrapers are built to survive earthquakes. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190114-how-japans-skyscrapers-are-built-to-survive-earthquakes
留言