UBC researchers develop new shock absorption system for highrises to withstand big earthquakes
CBC
A team of researchers at University of British Columbia have developed a new design for highrises that could help tall buildings withstand major earthquakes, while keeping people safe inside.
Led by structural engineering professor Tony Yang at UBC's faculty of applied science, the project aims to prepare cities like Vancouver for the "big one."
"We are expected to have very large earthquakes," Yang said.
Traditional highrise designs rely on a rigid concrete core, which typically place elevators and stairwells inside the central core. But the new system, the researcher says, allows buildings to move and absorb energy through dampers, outriggers and rocking foundations, rather than resist the shaking rigidly.
"These are like the shock absorbers in your car," he said.
"The design philosophy for the traditional system is to protect the people who live inside, but not the status of the building afterwards," he added.
"[With the new system] the owner can feel confident that the building, its occupants and its contents are protected during and after significant shaking."
The system was tested at the International Joint Research Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering in Shanghai, China, a facility with a large enough "shake table" to simulate a full-scale, magnitude-9 earthquake.
Researchers say UBC's one-fifth scale model remained fully functional after more than 100 simulated quakes.
According to Yang, the system allows for lighter construction and more usable space inside the building, making it both more resilient and cost-effective.
"In traditional construction, [builders] put a lot of reinforcement inside central concrete, putting money and labour into it," he said, explaining that the new design philosophy puts less stress on the concrete core and foundation.
He says it may offer long-term savings by reducing the need for large foundations or post-quake repairs, making the new design "much cheaper" to use.
According to a report released by the City of Vancouver last November, modelling suggests a magnitude 7.2 earthquake would cause significant damage to many aging, privately owned buildings — the majority of which are rental properties.
While the new system is aimed at new construction, Yang said it could also be incorporated into some older buildings — though the process would be more complex.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
It’s been hard to keep track of how many legal challenges and active court proceedings the United Conservative government has tried to quash or pre-emptively block in the last six weeks, but let’s try to tally:
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
For years, there has been “glaring inequity” in the way the province has allocated the millions of dollars in its county roads budget, according to Department of Transportation Minister Chuck Chiasson.
Six months after passing a law aimed at making it easier for new grocery stores to open, Manitoba's premier says lower grocery bills could be on the horizon.
Timothy Smith was acting in self-defence when he punched Landon Waddell, and shouldn't be found guilty of manslaughter, his lawyer says.
Thoroughbred horse racing at Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse is ending after more than a century, with the operator announcing Friday it will no longer run a racing season at the historic facility.