Researchers discovered that roofs are not built to withstand earthquakes

Structures shake to help industries understand infrastructure risks in Ottawa during an earthquake.

At the Structures Lab, funded by the Canadian Carleton University Innovation Foundation, civil and environmental engineering researchers are conducting tests to understand how buildings respond to extreme vibration, and how they can be designed differently to reduce injuries and damage.

“We break things so we can figure out how to build them better,” Professor Jeffrey Ershko said in an interview.

This is done by testing everyday items and construction techniques; They are mounted on a “shaking table” in the laboratory, which simulates an earthquake. Specifically, the researchers are looking at the way suspended ceilings react during disasters, and other non-structural elements, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, gas lines and communications cables – all major components of a building.

The team is able to simulate how an earthquake would disable a 100-story building and push it to the point of failure.

“If you think about a building today, you can expect it to perform very well in an earthquake, but the non-structural components of the building that we see are still vulnerable to damage,” Cameron Flood, a doctoral student, said in an interview.

Suspended ceilings traditionally look like a grid system with tiles in place. The researchers explained that they are often found in office buildings and schools. Data collected by the laboratory shows that it is one of the most frequently damaged building components during an earthquake.

“When they fall, they pose a fall hazard, and they can block barriers for people evacuating the building,” Flood said.

The tests are nearly identical to a real earthquake, with researchers using data from past disasters to test components and mimic the movement.

One question Erochko asks is why this research is being conducted in Ottawa, where earthquakes are not as common as the West Coast.

“People in eastern Canada don’t realize there are seismic risks here as well,” he said.

A building structure mounted on a “shaking table” at Carleton University for testing. (Carlton Yu) Students working in the laboratory walk under a simulated building with a suspended roof. (Carleton University)

Erochko explained that the Ottawa Valley, up to Montreal along the St. Lawrence River, is in a moderate seismic zone.

“The difference between the West and the East is that in the East, although the earthquakes we can experience can be as strong as the earthquakes that occur in the West, they occur less frequently,” he said. “But it’s been a long time since we’ve had a big one.”

The last major earthquake felt in Ottawa occurred in 2010 when an earthquake struck the Val-de-Bois region north of the capital. It lasted about 30 seconds and was measured at 5.0 on the Richter scale. An information sheet issued by Natural Resources Canada indicates that aftershocks were felt by people as far away as Kentucky.

For this reason, researchers are calling for better designs that take into account potential impacts before another “major impact” occurs in the nation’s capital.

“We’ll be able to tell when the panels come out and fall,” Flood said.

While roofs are the initial focus, other components can then be studied, and the data obtained can be applied to enhance design codes and retrofit existing buildings.

“Our overall goal is to help protect people, save money and make society more resilient,” he explained.

The building structure that was installed on Carleton University’s “shaking table” for testing has roof tiles falling off. (Carlton Yu)

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