BIM Helps Structural Engineers To Construct Earthquake Resilient Buildings Created By
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It would be the only half-witted decision of general contractors to put profits on priority during infrastructure development and civilians’ safety, secondary, against natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods, blizzards etc. To construct disaster-resilient buildings and infrastructure; structural engineers, civil engineers, steel and rebar detailers keep themselves updated with constantly evolving earthquake engineering and sciences of seismic natural occurrences. Researchers have designed fibre-reinforced concrete beams, base isolated buildings and what not. However, these AEC professionals forget the most widely used technology, BIM for Structural Engineers, in today’s construction practices.
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BIM technology holds all the four aces to turn the game of infrastructure development in favour of structural and civil engineers. By leveraging BIM technology, proportionately, structural engineers can reach the zenith of building and infrastructure development. BIM along with a finessed 3D model of infrastructure and/or custom API programming have the capability to conduct fortification analysis and seismic analysis of the structure. Seismic retrofitting, design coordination and building codes are some of the sectors where BIM plays protagonist with its imperative virtual design and construction tools.
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With continuous population explosion, the lateral expansion of buildings has in fact shifted to vertical rise. Skyscrapers and highrises have become an increasing necessity of urban infrastructure development along with flyovers, bridges and underground tubes.
Building Information Modeling incorporates early seismic needs, to eliminate design modification once the construction starts. Information rich intelligent BIM ready 3D models of infrastructure designs are critical when complying with the seismic specification.
Compliance to designs and building codes in BIM environment minimizes seismic effect damages
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Regulations call for a two-inch space between ducts to prevent damages in the earthquake and its inclusion in 3D models is an example of how neatly BIM ensures correctness of designs and compliance to codes.
Fundamentally, with BIM, any hanger, brace etc. can be modelled; designs of sleeves, decks, roofs, beams, columns etc. can also be validated using BIM. Alongside, by developing more custom plugins and tools that offer access to their APIs, tasks are automated and code compliance checking is streamlined.
Retrofitting of Earthquake Affected Infrastructure
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BIM not only aids structural engineers while working on the preparation of designs from scratch but also ensures that structure is revamped as it was before the earthquake. Having said this, BIM plays a significant role while working on retrofitting of earthquake affected infrastructure and buildings. It captures the reality of the as built condition of any structure with help of point cloud information and converting it to 3D BIM models or photogrammetry. It is impressive to see how AEC professionals are using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and a high-resolution camera to get exact as-built conditions of roads, bridges, and tunnels. Upon modelling and analysis of this captured information in BIM structural software such as Autodesk Revit Structure, it shows the displacement under seismic load when virtually simulated.
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However, while retrofitting, just knowing the particle displacement of structure material is not enough. Other challenge lies in meeting the supply and demand of material as envisioned for retrofitting project. The other challenge lies in how to coordinate all the energy in a choreographed construction methodology that ensures timely completion and fall within financial budgets in earthquake affected geography. BIM plays a pivotal role in programming and sequencing all construction activity, aligning materials on sites and optimizing supply and delivery. BIM thus removes inefficiencies and inaccuracies that are caused due to the piecemeal ordering of materials. BIM was initially meant to upgrade fundamental ways in which designing was done and bring efficiency to the overall construction process. But with the gradual advent of technology, BIM now serves Construction Management processes as well. Also when stakeholders and the public can see proposed building designs in form of 3D models and can walk through a virtual prototype of intended infrastructure piece, decisions can be streamlined and retrofit earthquake affected infrastructure can be accelerated.
Fiber and Steel Columns and Base Isolation Methods for Sustaining Seismic Vibration
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These beams, when reinforced with concrete and steel fiber, can sustain seismic loads at higher levels. Such innovations find applications in bridges, flyover, and high-rise construction. Besides, there are several other popular facilities constructed, such as Taipei 101 in China, that are built on the separate foundation which acts as a shock absorber. It essentially allows the building to stay stationary relative to the ground even during seismic vibrations. Adopting such modern approaches based on a static nonlinear algorithm, also known as dynamic analysis; give the more exact representation of buildings when simulated for seismic conditions. This pushover analysis delivers erecting a stronger foundation for high-risk construction. Using BIM is a cost-effective solution for infrastructure project development and it is unarguable. As the industry enters the next decade, it will have the ability to perform with a single BIM model. BIM itself will soon become the new normal for structural engineers to deal with earthquake engineering as well.
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