oq-gem

Glossary for gem taxonomy

Authors: Luke Allen, Andrew Charleson, Svetlana Brzev, and Charles Scawthorn

This online Glossary explains around 400 terms contained in the GEM Building Taxonomy v 2.0 and nearly 700 images.

The terms have been listed in alphabetical and numerical order. Text description of each term is accompanied by illustrations (photos and/or drawings) where possible.

We welcome contributions in the form of photographs or images, illustrating glossary terms. If you have any questions you can also contact us at buildingtaxonomy@globalquakemodel.org


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Mortar between masonry units consists of a mix of lime putty and sand. It is characterized by a light beige colour. Lime mortar is a low-strength (weak) mortar, and it can be easily scratched (removed) from the wall using a sharp tool (like a key). Lime mortar can be found in older buildings, mostly fired clay masonry construction.

Fired clay brick masonry in lime mortar, Canada (Ojdrovic Engineering)

Fired clay brick masonry in lime mortar, Canada (Ojdrovic Engineering)

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Square or rectangular-shaped prismatic stone blocks in bonded courses with narrow joints, with or without mortar. Usually found in areas where calcareous stones and tuffs (rocks formed from volcanic ash), which are relatively easy to shape, are available.

Dressed Stone

Dressed stone masonry wall, Italy (Maffei et al., EERI, 2006)

STDRE_Italy_Benedetti_1

A stone masonry wall (exterior wall wythe built using tuff stone) in San Giuliano damaged in the 2002 Molise earthquake, Italy (A. Benedetti)

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There are no connections that provide vertical attachment of roof to walls in order to restrain roof from wind lift-off, or the connections are considered to be inadequate.

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A building or group of buildings where trains stop, for loading and unloading of passengers, and  buildings used for the loading and unloading of freight trains. This does not include covered sheds for storage and maintenance of trains.

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Precast concrete units without reinforced concrete topping. Precast units include hollow-core slabs, solid slabs, or a system of precast concrete joists with timber or hollow concrete infill.

Precast concrete hollow core slabs (tropicalconcrete.com)

Precast concrete hollow core slabs (tropicalconcrete.com)

FC4_China_Dai_1

Concrete floors consisting of hollow core slabs with inadequate connections collapsed in the 2008 Wenchuan, China earthquake (J. Dai)

FC4_Canada_AdamsJ_1

Precast concrete hollow floor slab supported by concrete block masonry walls, Canada (J. Adams)

  1. Metal roof [RME]
  2. Roof connections
  3. Concrete roof, unknown [RC99]
  4. Cast-in-place concrete [CIP]

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