After the Kahramanmaraş earthquake, seismic isolators, which have been on the agenda, stand out with their ability to keep buildings intact. In these days when we see in the most painful way that we live in earthquake country, people want to see this technology that can save many lives in their own structures.
Although many people think that this system can only be installed ‘before the building is built’, insulators can actually be installed later. But for this, there are not only money, but also criteria that the building must meet.
For those who don’t know, what is a seismic isolator in short?
The purpose of seismic isolators is to reduce the intensity of the earthquake as much as possible in the building where they are installed. Under normal conditions, the foundation of buildings shakes with the ground, while the structures also shake. Insulators enter between the building and the ground; For example, when the ground moves to the right, it moves to the left, and when it moves to the left, it moves to the right.
In other words, this system tries to neutralize the movement of the ground, thus keeping the building in place.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to install this system in every building.
Because seismic isolators need suitable conditions to perform their functions. Buildings have to meet these conditions, and unfortunately, the number of buildings built without taking these conditions into account is very high in our country. The terms are as follows:
- There should be enough movement space around the building where the isolator will be installed.
- There must be enough space for the insulators to be installed.
- There should be no operation on the floor where the insulators will be installed.
The most important criterion: Why should there be enough space around the building?
Because, as we said, insulators follow the opposite direction to the movement of the ground, and in this context, even though they reduce the intensity of the earthquake, they inevitably transmit a tremor far below the main earthquake. For this reason, the building shakes a little.
If there is not enough space around the building to enable this shaking, the insulator will not be able to fulfill its function.
Why does the insulator itself need space?
When the insulators are to be installed in the buildings that are built later, the most used method is to fix the columns with hydraulic systems and to cut a certain part according to the structure and place the insulators here.
It is also important to have enough space for the insulators, as a significant amount of space is lost in this cutting process.
Finally, we can guess why there should be no operation at the place where the isolators are to be installed:
Especially if there is a process in the part where the isolators will be installed, this may cause the equipment to fail or make things worse while trying to be safe.
But there is no need to worry about that. Seismic isolators are installed after detailed and comprehensive analysis, especially when they are to be installed later. If there is an element that threatens the security of the building, this building should be strengthened. Then seismic isolators can be installed.
According to the EMKE company, which provides seismic isolation services, the strength of the building and the movement area around it are sufficient for the establishment of this system.
What will it cost once the conditions are met?
Murat Zengin, whom we consulted on the subject, explained the prices of the insulators as follows: “It is not mandatory for every building and it is not built for cost reasons. The cost will be lower in the new construction, because more processing needs to be done to add to the existing building, the columns need to be cut. Currently, 6,000-7,000 for one. It costs like a dollar”.
This system is already used in some places in our country.
These seismic isolations are located under the hospitals built in the 1st and 2nd earthquake zones. Apart from this, it is known that these systems are used in schools, energy facilities, transportation facilities, public institutions and data centers.
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