Research Proposal: Earthquake Resistant Building Construction (Research Proposal Sample)

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Research Proposal on Earthquake Resistant Building Construction
The threat of natural disasters is continuous and mostly unpredictable; however, the understanding of the forces of nature is somewhat limited in the public domain. As such, imperatively, emphasizing that we respect the environment with a constant reminder on including preventive measures as regards natural disasters in land development is paramount. Necessarily, other means of inhibition of natural disasters like environmental preservation mechanisms and economic deliberations during infrastructural and real estate development is a must. Earthquake is among the major natural disasters which cause severe destruction in many sections of the globe. The effects of earthquake tragedies on human life and growth in the world typically get weighty (O'Toole et al., 58). Instantly after the occurrence of earthquakes, substantive emotional requirements overwhelm, with people needing a reliable source of information. Urban dwellers, mostly middle class, feel the wrath the most. They often get forced to take refuge in some rough-and-ready structures, made from plastic and perhaps wood. Numerous interviews on victims living in such makeshift communities reveal that most of the survivors lose hope of regaining their life status. With permanent destruction of their houses and lack of proper means of professional inspection for structures that seem habitable afterward devastates. Furthermore, most victims usually lack adequate access to water, electricity, food, and health facilities.
Statement of the Problem
I propose that engineers and contractors should ensure the desirable seismic performance on buildings and other constructions to plummet seismic economic loss during earthquakes. In earthquake-resistant development, structures ought to get grounded, and their foundation firmly connected to the earth. Avoidance of building on loose sands or clays is necessary. In the event of an earthquake, structures erected on sand or clay surfaces can lead to extreme movement and development of nonuniform stresses. The concentration of this project is on a specific aspect of earthquake disasters in building construction, the lack of seismic safety. The focus is not meant to downplay other elements as insignificant; indeed, not. For instance, researchers and policymakers ought to devote sufficient attention to the difficulty in the establishment of an effective and quick response whenever earthquake disasters take place.
The project focuses on buildings, categorically, in residential structures, because the downfall of these demonstrated both deadly and highly troublesome to people's lives in previous earthquake occurrences. By concentrating on residential structural meagerness, the projected solutions emphasize extenuation and readiness for the upcoming and existing structures through steps like retrofitting, among others, as opposed to waiting for a responsive approach to disaster occurrence. This type of mitigation process will help reduce earthquake-induced damages.
I will complete this research by offering a multi-layered set of pitches, that concurrently approach the problem through most of the known heights of causality. The plans drawn in detail comprise a recommendation for training and certification program for engineers and contractors, public awareness and marketing drives, a probable system of sponsored housing and home enhancement strategies, adjustments to community regulations and inspection management, and a suggestion on reform toward disasters and development regulation for critical urban centers. The implementation of the proposals would require a non-draconian approach facilitated by significant players that encompass various institutions with satisfactory involvement.
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I believe I qualify to complete this study because I am a passionate, disciplined, and academically-gifted academic lover. I am presently pursuing my studies in English at George Mason University and hold a deep-rooted interest in architecture, structural design, and seismic surveys. The continued prevalence of 6.0 and above rated earthquakes in the US is another motivating factor for my interest in this topic. Besides my traits, I believe my experience in research and research-related functions further qualifies me for this study. My track record researching socially important subject matters accord me an added advantage as I comprehend the vitality of not only provided data and results but also making a sound, actionable and implementable recommendations to aid in the alleviation of the research problem. As such, I am convinced that my traits, faith, academic qualifications, and experience make me the best-qualified individual to study this topic.
Literature Review
In a case study examining low-cost housing and community involvedness in construction, Rajandre Desai and Rupal Desai pointed out that the majority of houses that collapsed about the 1992 Latur Earthquake belonged to the low-category (LATHA et al., 181). They cited development using broader stone masonry in a weak motor. The roofing was also heavy and improperly clamped to peripheral walls. Further, they asserted that socio-eco-friendly methods and materials influenced the constructions. The buildings had recyclable materials that produced less pollution as well. However, these traditional methods never complied with seismic resistivity specifications. This information will be vital during the creation of data for the public awareness forums in our project. It will get used in guaranteeing that constructions get protected in consideration of seismic resistivity of the building using a proper methodology.
Contrastingly, Nicolas (www.sites.googal.com) had a different opinion. He elucidated the need for retrofitting the structures with scarce seismic resistivity. The importance of this caution, as explained incline to safety to inhabitants in and around the construction, property. Other benefits he alluded to include cost-effectiveness, such as litigation cost, medical disbursement, temporary repositioning cost, loss of building usage, and the time factor required in facing such situations (Nuzzo et al., 2787). However, retrofitting requires the advice and administration of a qualified and experienced engineer or contractor in the construction field. If retrofitting gets performed without professionalism, more harm than good will be inevitable. Nicolas also believes that poor retrofits will escalate the cost of disaster management. He warns that no structure is full of proof against earthquakes. Even though he might be right, I believe that Nicolas ought to acknowledge that retrofitting boosts the performance of the structure. My proposal will ensure that engineers and contractors understand the importance of retrofitting and adhere to their standard practices.
In another case study by Gaikwad et al. (2015), they deliberated upon the conduct of a bare frame and an in-filled frame considering underneath soil. Gaikwad et al. scrutinized the seismic safety of a building frame with a solid (fixed) foundation finding three types of soils, that is, hard, soft, and medium-stiff (Sayyed et al., 105). In their case, an in-filled panel solely represented brick masonry. Noteworthy, in a practical scenario, incorporating the properties of soil building frame in 100% fixity is unachievable. Usually, settlements, forces as a result of shear and bending, and the foundational rotation alter even the superstructures. The alteration is known as "Soil-Structure Interaction."
Similarly, Singh et al. (2016) investigated the performance of RC frame buildings. The analysis encompassed frame building that had infill walls and building frames without infill walls. Typical structural construction requires the frequent use of RC framed structures to enable rapid progress of work as well as ease of assembly. Infill panels enhance the stiffness and strength of the frame. They are usually acting as a compression strut between column and beam. The resultant compression forces get moved over the nodes. The Bhuj earthquake revealed a significant structural failure in the response of the buildings despite the presence of infill walls (Surana et al., 131). Singh et al. engaged equivalent diagonal strut concept analysis in examining the response in seismic resistivity of strengthened concrete buildings. Equating the results from the high-tech model analysis of both Gaikwad et al. and Singh et al. will give us an apparent soil structure behavior, which is vital for new constructions. My proposal will incorporate the vitality of understanding the soil structure of a particular area as part of the construction process. This knowledge will guide engineers and contractors in using the right strategies to provide desirable seismic performance.
Disasters and Retrofit Strategies
The performance level of buildings is decided based on building requirements. From the demand capacity spectra, if the performance point does not fit the required standard, it becomes clear that the damage occurring to structural elements needs to get addressed (Daly et al.,86). Grounded on the kind and degree of harm that has happened, retrofitting measures will be taken. Thus, the type of damage must get understood by the designer, and then the appropriate retrofit strategy may inform the decision. The following section examines different kinds of disasters and retrofit strategies advocated in technical literature that we will engage in the execution of our plan giving proper guidance towards seismic safety:
Paulay and Priestly (1991), in their book, have described various failure modes, responses, ...