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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Category: terms
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The Direction attribute is intended to identify two principal horizontal directions of the building plan. It is possible to specify different Lateral Load-Resisting System (LLRS) and the corresponding Material of the Lateral Load-Resisting System in two directions called Direction X and Direction Y; these systems are often referred to as Hybrid Systems or Mixed Systems. Where it is possible to specify directions, Direction X is parallel to street, and Direction Y is perpendicular (orthogonal) to street. In some cases, it is not possible to identify Direction X and Direction Y - thus the user can select Unspecified Direction.

Note that other types of hybrid systems can be described by the Hybrid Lateral Load-Resisting System attribute, which should be applied in one of the following cases: a) there is more than one LLRS in the building, but there is no clear distinction between LLRSs in directions X and Y, or b) there is only one LLRS, but two or more materials of the LLRS are used in different portions of the building.

Direction_1

A building showing possible orientation for Directions X and Y

EXAMPLE 1: A building has two different LLRSs: reinforced concrete flat plate (slab and column system) parallel to street, and reinforced concrete wall system perpendicular to street, as shown below. In this case, Direction X (parallel to street) is associated with a flat plate system (LFLS) (see Section 2), and Direction Y (perpendicular to street) is associated with a wall system (LWAL) (see Section 1).

Direction_2

EXAMPLE 2: The Direction attribute can be used to describe a hybrid LLRS from Chile, with reinforced concrete frames in longitudinal direction (Direction X) and confined masonry in transverse direction (Direction Y). It is assumed that Direction X (parellel to street) is longitudinal direction because entrance to individual housing units is in that direction (M. O. Moroni Yadlin).

Direction_Chile_Moroni_1

Direction_Chile_Moroni_2

EXAMPLE 3: The Direction attribute can be used to describe a hybrid system from Chile, where confined masonry is used in one direction and reinforced concrete shear walls in other direction (Moroni, Gomez, and Astroza, Chile, World Housing Encyclopedia Report 8). The photo shows an earthquake-damaged building, and the drawing shows a typical building plan (not related to the building shown on the photo).

Direction_Chile_WHE8_1Direction_Chile_WHE8_2

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Category: terms
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Granite is a light-colored igneous rock with a random arrangement of minerals grains large enough to be visible with the unaided eye.  Granite is a coarse-grained, light-colored igneous rock composed mainly of feldspars and quartz with minor amounts of mica and amphibole minerals.  This mineral composition usually gives granite a red, pink, gray or white color with light and dark mineral grains scattered throughout the rock.  Granite polishes well and resists weathering and acid rain.  Granite is hard and difficult to shape into regular blocks; for that reason it is mostly used for random rubble or semi-dressed stone masonry construction. Granite is generally resistant to scratching by metal.

SPGR_India_BrzevS_1

SPGR_India_BrzevS_2

Granite is used for wall construction in Maharashtra, India (S. Brzev)

SPGR_Pakistan_Schacher_1

Granite stone boulders prepared for construction, Pakistan (T.Schacher)

SPGR_Peru_BrzevS_1

SPGR_Peru_BrzevS_2

Granite was used for the construction of Inca building complex, Macchu Picchu, Peru (S. Brzev)

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The construction was completed before the World War II, thus the year entered is 1939.

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Steel members and steel reinforcing are not designed nor constructed to undergo plastic deformation before failure under earthquake loads. In the event of over-load during an earthquake structural members are expected to suffer brittle failure. For example, moment frames with weak columns and strong beams are non-ductile because once the columns are damaged they usually are unable to resist gravity loads.  Reinforced concrete frames will also be classified as non-ductile if beam and column ties have 90 degree rather than 135 degree hooks, and if there is insufficient quantity and spacing of shear reinforcement to prevent shear failure before flexural failure.

Unreinforced masonry buildings usually demonstrate non-ductile performance in earthquakes.

DNO_Colombia_WHE11_1

Details of a non-ductile reinforced concrete frame at critical locations:  beam-column joint, beam and column (L.G. Mejia, Colombia, World Housing Encyclopedia Report 11)

DNO_Colombia_WHE11_2

Widely spaced transverse reinforcement (ties in columns and stirrups in beams) are characteristic for non-ductile reinforced concrete frame; this isometric drawing shows a possible seismic strengthening technique (L.G. Mejia, Colombia, World Housing Encyclopedia Report 11)

DNO_Brzev_Pao_1

Ties in reinforced concrete columns: a) 135 degree hooks (ductile detailing), and b) 90 degree hooks (non-ductile detailing) (Brzev, S. and Pao, J. Reinforced Concrete Design: A Practical Approach, Pearson Learning Solutions, 2012)

DNO_India_Bhuj_Murty_1

DNO_India_Bhuj_Muty_2

Failure of reinforced concrete columns at the ground floor level of a building with the soft storey irregularity in the 2001 Bhuj, India earthquake; the columns were characterized by non-ductile details, such as widely spaced ties and 90 degree hooks in ties (C.V.R. Murty, EERI Reconnaissance Team)

DNO_Taiwan_Chi Chi_EERI_1

Failure at the base of a reinforced concrete column due to 90 degree hooks and widely spaced ties was observed in the 1999 Chi Chi, Taiwan earthquake; use of 90 degree hooks is a feature of non-ductile concrete construction (EERI Reconaissance Team)

DNO_USA_Northridge_BAREP_1

Older steel moment frame buildings were damaged in the 1994 Northridge, California earthquake due to non-ductile beam-column connections and weld fractures (EERI and Bay Area Regional Earthquake Preparedness Project, CAL-OES)

DNO_Haiti_EERI_Lang_1

Damage of a poorly constructed confined masonry building in the 2010 Haiti earthquake; this is considered a non-ductile performance (A. Lang, EERI Reconnaissance Team)

DNO_Algeria_Brzev_1

Unreinforced masonry buildings often show non-ductile performance and suffer damage in major earthquakes, such as the 2003 Boumerdes, Algeria earthquake (S. Brzev)

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Category: terms
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Any school-age educational centre. Includes government-owned and private schools.

  1. Shallow-arched masonry roof [RM2]
  2. Shape of the building plan
  3. Tuff [SPTU]
  4. Iron [MEIR]

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