#7 - Stiffer Buildings Needed
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#7 - Stiffer Buildings Needed
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About this listen
The source discusses a growing global consensus that stiffer, more robust buildings that experience less "drift" or sway during earthquakes perform much better than buildings constructed using traditional methods, particularly in New Zealand. Research conducted using a five-storey prototype in Taiwan demonstrated that components like ceilings, windows, and partition walls sustained less damage in stiffer structures, surprisingly doing much better than previously anticipated. A Canterbury University civil engineering professor suggests that New Zealand should update its building standards to require more robustness, arguing that this change is crucial not just for life safety but also for ensuring buildings, like hospitals, remain functional following a seismic event. This shift in construction philosophy, which has been embraced by countries like Japan and Chile for decades, would only add an estimated 1-2 percent to the total building budget. The text concludes by noting that certain local New Zealand companies like Stackcell Structures are already developing more rigid building systems that minimize inter-storey drift.