Beijing
Room 1507, Kuntai
International Mansion,
No.12 B Chaowai Street,
Beijing 100020
Tel: 86-10-59251256
Fax: 86-10-59251259
 
FII China Email: info@bcfii.cn

Construction practices are constantly evolving. For example, longer member spans leading to more open concept structures, larger garages and the desire for more openings in exterior walls have provided challenges for designing earthquake-resistant buildings. However, the widespread use of wood structural panels allows us to build stronger floors and walls and our understanding of earthquake-resistant design is continuously evolving.

North America
In North America, building codes provide prescriptive framing requirements for wood houses. The 1995 and earlier editions of the National Building Code of Canada do not explicitly include prescriptive provisions for earthquake design. Framing guidelines for earthquake – prone regions of Canada can be found I the Canadian Wood Council’s (CWC) Engineering Guide for Wood Frame Construction that includes a set of simple prescriptive requirements based on conventional construction guidelines that have been used in California. The CWC guide can also be used to engineer small wood-frame buildings.

In the United States, building codes contain conventional construction requirements for houses that include provisions for earthquakes. Earthquake design provisions can also be found in the American Forest and Paper Association’s Wood-frame Construction Manual fro One and Two Family Dwellings.

When framing systems are not based on prescriptive requirements, earthquake load paths must be engineered. Loads are determined using the building code requirements and the load-resisting elements are designed and detailed based on the wood design standards. In both Canada and the United States, recent editions of the national wood design standards have been updated to include enhanced provisions for earthquake design. The Canadian Standard Association’s latest edition of CSA O86-01 “Engineering Design in Wood,” includes provisions that make it easier to design wood–frame buildings to resist earthquake loads. Likewise, the most recent edition of the National Design Specification for Wood Construction in the United States includes all the information required to design wood-frame members to resist earthquake loads.

WoodWorks Shearwalls design software has been specifically developed to assist engineers to design earthquake-resistant wood-frame buildings. In addition to providing wood design solutions, the software will also generate seismic loads on the building. The software is available for use in both Canada and the United States. Information on the software can be found at www.woodworks-software.com.

In North America, building codes and wood design standards provide the information required to design earthquake-resistant wood structures. The codes and standards are updated on an ongoing basis to reflect field studies and research on the effects of earthquakes on wood buildings.

World Demand for Safer Housing
There are many reasons why wood-frame construction, which has been so successfully employed in North America over the past century, is attracting interest in other parts of the world. In some cases, the increasing affluence of emerging economies is creating a demand for increased comfort. In other cases, the failure of buildings and numerous deaths from recent earthquakes is fueling the demand for safer housing.

The entire island of Taiwan is exposed to very high earthquake risk. A 1999 earthquake killed more than 2,200 people and left over 100,000 homeless. As a result, the government has indicated strong support for introducing wood construction and is developing Taiwanese codes based on North American and Japanese Models.

Japan is also situated almost entirely in a region of high earthquake risk. First introduced 20 years ago, North American style wood-frame construction occupies a fast growing niche of the Japanese home market, particularly since its exemplary performance during the 1995 Kobe Earthquake.

Increasing economic development is driving the demand for improved housing in China. The government has adopted modified versions of North American building codes for wood-frame construction that will facilitatThe lie construction of high-quality, durable wood-frame housing in China. Like many parts of Asia, areas of China face high exposure to natural hazards like earthquakes and typhoons.

Concrete and masonry are the preliminary building materials in Turkey. The 1999 earthquake in Turkey caused 15,000 deaths, mostly from building collapse, and left 600,000 people homeless. Turkish officials have recognized the need to improve building standards and introduce new construction technologies, including wood-frame construction for single family and low-rise apartment buildings.

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