Earthquake Damage Reduction
There are many ways to reduce earthquake damage.
- Possible actions include:
- Participating in certification and other programs offered to introduce improved construction techniques to the building industry.
- Developing a hazard map with earthquake risk zones.
- Using construction techniques that are seismic resistant.
- Determining which sites are safe for construction through analysis of the soil type and geological structure.
- Instituting incentives to remove unsafe buildings and buildings on unsafe sites or, more probably, to upgrade their level of safety.
- Ensuring that future development is on safer sites and apply safer methods of construction through abiding by:
- Land use controls (zoning).
- Building Codes and standards and means of enforcing them.
- Favourable taxation, loans, or subsidies to qualify buildings, methods and sites.
- Land development incentives.
- Reducing possible damage from secondary effects by:
- Identifying potential landslide sites and restricting construction in those areas.
- Installing devices that will keep breakages in electrical lines and gas mains from producing fires.
- Verifying the capability of dams to resist earthquake forces, and upgrading as necessary.
- A high percentage of losses in earthquakes is due to failure of non-structural elements such as ceilings, windows, doors, partitions, cupboard and shelves, external cladding, electrical and mechanical systems, and other components of buildings. Non-structural components comprise 60-80% of the cost of the building.
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