Roofs Built To Resist Earthquakes

A 30 degree roof slope has the best results.

Roofs built to resist earthquakes.

Since earthquakes release energy that pushes on a building from one direction the strategy is to have the building push the opposite way. It can have a roof slope between 3 and 15 degrees. Gable roofs are generally more common because they are cheaper to build. In south florida all roofs must be built to withstand 146 mph wind forces and by using metal ties strapping and other reinforcement most builders use wood to meet this standard.

This can be done with profiled steel cladding together with a layer of added insulation. The roof of an earthquake resistant building must be as light as possible too. One way to resist ground forces is to lift the building s foundation above the earth. Here are some of the methods used to help buildings withstand earthquakes.

Once these walls shake a bit the entire strength is lost and the building will collapse or pancake during an earthquake. Earthquake damage caused by the building having no structural framing where the upper floors and roof are simply built on to masonry walls. Create a flexible foundation. This is best done with profiled steel cladding on light gauge steel zed purlins.

While no structure can be entirely immune to damage from earthquakes the goal of earthquake resistant construction is to erect structures that fare better during seismic activity than their conventional counterparts. Wind forces on a roof tend to be uplift forces. It s also important that the floors and walls of the building are made as lightweight as possible. This can also have double skin with spacers and insulation.

This is difficult because some sort of framing is vital.