At the beginning of human history, these areas were surprisingly preferred due to water and food resources, which abounded in such landscapes. Nowadays, they are the biggest cities in the world – and urbanization accelerates the growth of these areas even more.
However, the modern way of building larger and taller does not suit well in the seismic zones. Fortunately, Peikko has been developing safer, faster and more efficient ways to build for years and now we’re largely focusing on seismic zones.
Familiar product, new ways to utilize
We have started a ductility testing project of our DELTABEAM® Slim Floor Structure. By conducting comprehensive research on our solutions, we can offer safer and easier ways to build in seismic areas as well. Increasing our own knowledge makes us help you too.
The conclusion of the research is that the beneficial structural response shows that properly reinforced DELTABEAM® can be used not only for typical ultimate state design but also to protect against extreme cases, such as progressive collapse and earthquakes.
One of the main benefits of DELTABEAM® is to save floor height and total space in the height of the buildings.
Slimmer floors have two great outcomes in seismic areas:
- Reduction in the mass of the floors reflects in a reduction of the inertia forces that will be applied to the structure by the earthquake.
- Reduced height with the same number of stories helps to control the lateral displacements that occur to the structure, when subjected to horizontal load. Therefore, limited deformation implies less damage.
When combined with other seismic load resisting systems, DELTABEAM® keeps the architectural freedom while the lateral stability is achieved in other parts of the structure. DELTABEAM® also enables fast and efficient construction phase by using simple connections that have less design issues than the rigid ones, thus making the project safe before, during, and after completion.
Use case of DELTABEAM® in seismic zone
We have extended our research to make sure that DELTABEAM® not only meets the standards but also goes an extra mile safety-wise. As the product itself hasn’t changed, we already have ongoing and completed projects with DELTABEAM® in earthquake-prone areas.
Newport Link Project, located in the city of Pasay, Philippines is a multi-use complex building, with the potential to be used as a casino. The proposed structure is a very efficient dual system, which combines cast-in-situ concrete walls, precast moment resisting frame and DELTABEAM®. Needs for the project are speed of construction and large open spaces. COPRA® Anchoring Couplers and HPKM® Column Shoes are used in rigid beam-column joints along the perimeter, while DELTABEAM® is simply supported on interior columns by using PCs® Corbel.
Cooperation is the key to successful projects
Seismic design needs a comprehensive approach that starts from the structural concept and ends with the detailing of elements and connections. For that, the designer, the architect, the engineer, the suppliers and everybody that is involved in the design process should be aware of the seismic issues and must work together so that the requirements are matched at every stage. By being involved right from the get-go, we can assure that we are able to provide the right solution for the project.
Read our White Paper for more comprehensive and detailed information on DELTABEAM® ductility testing: Peikko White Paper: Ductility Project - DELTABEAM® Slim Floor System
Simo Hakkarainen
Business Director, DELTABEAM®
Peikko Group Corporation
Elena Camnasio
R&D Engineer
Peikko Group Corporation
