Throughout the world, seismic activity presents a major threat to transportation networks, like airports. In our previous blog, Seismic Safety For Airports: Crucial Concerns, Impacts, And Mitigating Risks, we did an overview of some of the key factors involved in airport seismic safety. Here, we’ll go further into how earthquake-resistant design enhances airport safety. Let’s get into it.
Keeping Airports Functional With Earthquake-Resistant Design
Airports are one of the most important transportation networks globally, which means that critical operations, systems, and structures should remain functional following seismic events. Seismic vulnerability increases life-safety issues, and losing performance of airport systems can cause the airport to lose functionality.
This is also dependent on the vulnerability and importance of the system, as the system(s) damaged may result in halting airport operations. If certain systems are damaged, they may not affect the operationality of the airport, such as non-vital supplies and storage facilities. Others may not affect aircraft, but can affect everyday airport operations, such as security systems and piping supplies. The most crucial systems to airport operations are the ones needed for aircraft to safely land and takeoff.
Earthquake-resistant designs can be implemented in order to reduce the vulnerability of airports to seismic events.
How Earthquake-Resistant Design Helps
Some of the ways in which earthquake-design enhances seismic safety are as follows.
Protecting Critical Infrastructure
Terminals, control towers, and runways and taxiways are vital parts of airport operations. Damage to these structures can lead to serious disruptions. Earthquake-resistant design prevents issues like fallen non-structural systems through the use of measures like seismic bracing, which causes these systems to be able to move with ground-shaking, rather than being shaken loose and wrecking havoc.
Minimizing Life-Safety Risks
Life-safety is the highest priority for airports, especially during a seismic event. Earthquake-resistant design reduces risks to passengers and staff by enhancing the resilience of structural and non-structural systems to shaking. This prevents issues like blocked evacuation routes which can impair the safety to human life.
Operational Continuity
A major concern for earthquakes during and after a seismic event is the ability to continue operations. Earthquake-resistant design allows for critical services to be resumed quickly and effectively after an earthquake, and enables non-structural systems, such as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, to remain functional.
Improving Long-Term Resilience
Seismic safety for airports doesn’t just address imminent risks, but supports the long-term safety of the airport. Earthquake-resistant designs reduce the need for costly repairs or rebuilding after an earthquake, contributing to operational resilience.
Future-Proofing
Seismic building codes are constantly being updated as more is learned about earthquake risks and how better to mitigate them. Future-proofing earthquake-resistant design makes it easier to retrofit or upgrade them as new standards are developed.
Real-World Example Of Proven Earthquake-Resistant Design for Airports
VIE has been continuously working on the Salt Lake City International Airport for 7 years to enhance its seismic safety. Our work has proven earthquake performance from the 2020 Magna earthquake. Since nothing failed during the earthquake, the airport put a plaque up demonstrating its proven capabilities.
VIE successfully designed for all different complexities and conditions involved in seismic activity. Even during that period, our bracing experienced an earthquake – and performed as needed.
VIE is currently working on Phase 4, the final phase, after successfully completing prior phases.
If you would like to learn more about our work on the Salt Lake City International Airport, feel free to check out our project page here: Salt Lake City International Airport, for some more details. If you have an airport project in need of seismic engineering, you may also contact us if you would like more in-depth knowledge of the type of work we can do and have done for airports.
Expert Seismic Engineering Services In The United States
VIE has over 40 years of experience in the seismic engineering realm. VIE stands for Value Innovative Engineering, and that’s exactly what we provide to our clients. We either meet or exceed the code requirements of client projects with innovative techniques that substantially reduce the number and size of seismic braces needed through advanced concepts.
We take pride in being a seismic engineering firm that clients come back to, time and again. To learn more about our seismic engineering services and what we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
