Policy to reinforce old buildings makes homes and offices more quake-proof
Since the April 3 earthquake, many people have been rechecking the structural resilience of their homes. If you think your building is quake-proof enough, government support may be available. A government policy to reinforce old buildings applies to both homes and businesses. FTV visited buildings improved by the policy, to see what the work involves, including a National Property Administration office, and a residential unit in Yilan.
This is the National Property Administration office on Aiguo East Road in Taipei. With its thin pillars, the walls of this 40-year-old building have been turned into windows. This structural engineer was concerned by its questionable earthquake resilience, although it has withstood several big quakes. The government’s new “Reinforcement Policy” aims to strengthen buildings’ earthquake resilience, especially consolidating older buildings.
Wu Liang-yu
Taiwan Structural Engineers Association
This pillar has been “column-jacketed.” Its dimensions are clearly larger than the other pillars. How you make it is you first shave off the original plaster, to reveal the structural elements beneath, and on the outside of the old pillar, you re-jacket the column with steel bars surrounded by concrete. So it becomes a new, larger pillar, and its earthquake-resilience is increased. That’s column-jacketing.
Chou Chung-cheh
National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering
Adding an inclined strut or a wall is a very effective method, because their lateral rigidity has much more capacity to withstand quakes than a single pillar. We can say almost 80% of the force of an earthquake is absorbed by the walls and the inclined struts. So when the first tremor comes, they absorb most of it, and even if they are damaged, they protect the pillars. The pillars stay standing. So the building doesn’t collapse, and the people have a chance to escape.
In Yilan, the assembly of a residential unit discussed the building reinforcement policy, and agreed by majority vote on a reinforcement project that would take more than a year. Now their building is stronger than ever, although the improvements are invisible.
Huang Chin-huang
Residential Unit Owner Assembly chair, Yilan
This building is very safe after the reinforcement. For example, this wall was originally here, and this was empty space. The tiles were originally openwork. That was a big threat to the safety of the building. An engineer designed this for us, and it was all reinforced. High-strength cement was poured in to create a load-bearing wall.
Your house may have withstood many strong earthquakes, but that doesn’t mean it is without risk. You may benefit from doing a “health check” on your house, so your home is ready for whatever comes its way.
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2024-04-18
