5 Common Earthquake Proofing Techniques for the Home

For homes built in earthquake-prone areas, earthquake proofing during construction is a critical protective step. As a current or prospective homeowner in this kind of area, it’s also good to know what the most common earthquake proofing techniques are, and how they work. Here, we’re going to break down the five most common methods builders and homeowners use to reinforce houses across the country.

Earthquake Proofing 101: 5 Common Tactics

Standing up to the shearing and grinding forces of an earthquake can be a challenge, but these five smart building and retrofit techniques help make it a reality for modern buildings:

1. Base-isolated building techniques

During an earthquake, the ground beneath a building shakes and quivers. If the house is a traditional, fixed-base building, it risks being sheared apart and deformed by the displacing movements of the quake. Because of this, builders are gravitating toward base-isolated building techniques, which utilize lead-rubber bearings to support the building and help it cope with movement and energy from the ground beneath.

2. Energy dissipation devices

Energy dissipation devices work by damping the energy put forth by a quake. Without these devices, homes are fundamentally unable to withstand the vibration and gyration of the quake below.

Energy dissipation devices come in several shapes and sizes, including friction dampers, which dissipate energy through frictional forces; metallic dampers, which dampen energy through the deformation of the metal elements within them; and viscous dampers, which use the motion of fluid within the damper to control energy.

These devices are typically installed in the home’s bracing systems and are designed to help absorb the shock and force of a major earthquake.

3. Steel anchor plates

Steel anchor plates are common in homes built to today’s standards, but they’re also a simple retrofit for older homes. Designed to connect the home’s foundation to a sil plate, these steel additions help minimize the movement the house would suffer during a quake, and limit damage as a result.

4. Cripple wall reinforcement

Cripple walls sit on top of the home’s sil plates, and are designed to carry the weight of the house.  When these walls collapse during an earthquake, the risk of catastrophic damage to the home is far greater.

Because of this, builders and retrofit specialists often focus on reinforcing cripple walls to make them stronger. The most common way to do this is to attach structural grade plywood to the frame of the wall. This simple addition braces the home against front-to-back earthquake movement.

5. Retrofitting utilities

While most homeowners think of preventing structural damage when they imagine earthquake proofing their homes, there is also utility-related damage to consider. Ruptures in critical utilities like gas and water lines can cause catastrophic damage to the home.

To prevent said damage, builders will commonly install shut-off valves on the home’s main gas line and retrofit existing lines with flexible fittings to prevent ruptures as the ground shakes and gyrates.

Earthquake Proofing Made Simple

While nobody wants their home to experience an earthquake, it’s a reality for many homes in the country. Fortunately, these smart earthquake-proof methods can help keep a home safer and more intact during a quake.