With the global warming and the kind of environment state our earth is in right now, the natural disasters can occur any time. The imbalances in the eco system are leading to earthquakes every now and then. And when an earthquake happens, how safe is the place you are sitting in. It is impossible to declare any building earthquake proof. With an earthquake of high intensity which we never know when it can strike, it is actually impossible to know the fate of the building we are in. Like it is said that, ‘Precaution is better than cure.’ And in this case making buildings earthquake-resistant seems to be the cure. An earthquake-resistant building is in fact 99 per cent safe and one per cent left to chance. Buildings can be designed to withstand the impact of natural vagaries like floods, earthquakes, cyclones and wind storms by considering the magnitude of these forces in the past and their recurring intervals.

FOLLOW THE NORMS
Many builders compromise on the issue of earthquake-resistant designs. There have been many examples where large scale loss of human life and property has made designers and architects put their heads together to review the seismic division of the country. Make sure your architect/ builder/ structural designer is following the latest norms of safety prescribed by the recognized body.

SEISMIC ZONE
To make a building earth quake-resistant, the first thing to check is the seismic zone in which it falls. Zone V is the most earthquake prone zone and Zone II is least seismic. Zone I has been merged with Zone II. When a building has to be constructed in an area that lies on the border of any two zones, then the building should be designed as if situated in the higher seismic zone.

LIGHT AT THE TOP
For earthquake resistance, a building needs to be stronger and lighter. Avoid terrace gardens and swimming pools as they put added pressure and make the top of the building heavy, causing more damage than necessary in the face of the calamity.

DANGEROUS SOFT STOREYS
Buildings with soft storey’s, where the building is on stilts to make space for car parking on the ground floor, are more vulnerable to earthquakes. The definitions of soft storey and extreme soft storey have been clarified and elaborated in the new IS code and design criteria to be used for soft storeys has been provided.

FRAME
Opt for the RCC framed structure for your building. Provide beam network at plinth level, door level and roof level. Try and restrict the number of storeys in an earthquake-prone area. Opt for a strong column-weak beam combination instead of the strong beam-weak column combination.
Restrict the number and size of openings in the building. Minimize the size of all doors and windows as much as possible. Always provide steel reinforcement around the openings to counter the tensional effects of earthquake forces on the building.

If you have already got your building constructed, get its design rechecked for earthquake resistance as per new provisions. Your building can be strengthened if required. After all it is the matter of yours and yours family security.