Introduction
In today’s society, with human actions generating disastrous repercussions such as global warming, floods are a continual concern. In addition, given the characteristics of the globe, earthquakes and seismic activity in general pose a threat to people’s safety. As a result, humans construct specific buildings for protection and develop particular technologies for building construction. This study examines dams, dikes, earthquake-resistant construction techniques, and concrete reinforcement. All of the described structures and technologies have advantages and disadvantages.
Flood barriers and levees act as physical barriers that protect coastal communities from floods and storm surges. This reduces erosion and property damage, providing individuals and businesses with a sense of security. The influence on natural processes in the coastal zone, on the other hand, is a major cause of worry. These have the ability to alter both the biosphere and the terrain in the flood zone.
Such protective systems necessitate the building of additional structures to bolster the coastlines, and they are also vulnerable to artificial disasters and climate change. Improved earthquake-resistant building and concrete reinforcing technologies are also required. Life will be in danger until states create a more effective approach to safeguard populations from natural catastrophes.
Flood Protection and Levees
Natural, technological, and environmental threats abound in today’s globe. They all produce complicated, undesirable conditions that influence human, animal, and plant life. Natural disasters, technological mishaps, catastrophes, and military activities can all result in such situations, known as emergencies (ES). Floods are large inundations caused by rising water levels in a river, lake, or sea.
Floods are produced by excessive precipitation, rapid snowmelt, or undersea earthquakes that result in massive waves known as tsunamis. The biggest risk is caused by abrupt floods caused by hydraulic infrastructure failing (Serra‐Llobet et al., 2022). Floods are frequently associated with human casualties and considerable material destruction.
Flood protection is a collection of procedures designed to avoid or mitigate the negative effects of floods. It is possible to do this through construction (engineering) procedures such as reservoir development, levee construction, and channel rectification. These buildings safeguard coastal communities from erosion and property damage, assuring their safety. They are, however, expensive to build and maintain, and they can disturb natural processes, leading to landscape and climate change.
Flood barriers and levees provide a lot of advantages. They operate as a physical barrier, shielding coastal areas from storm surges. This can minimize erosion and property damage, providing people and businesses with a sense of security. Additionally, these houses provide a safer living environment for the population. These buildings can also provide recreational benefits, such as providing a sturdy platform for strolling or fishing.
One main source of worry is the effect on natural riparian processes (Menéndez et al., 2020). They have the potential to affect the biosphere in the flooded region, as well as the terrain. Such protective buildings need the construction of additional structures to fortify banks, as well as the danger of manufactured disasters and climate change.
Dams, like other retaining walls, must decrease water pressure accumulation. When groundwater does not drain from behind the dam, water pressure builds up. Groundwater at the levee might originate from the area’s natural water table, rain seeping into the earth behind the wall, or waves beyond the wall. During times of floods (high tide), the water table can also increase. The dike may bend, shift, or collapse due to a lack of sufficient drainage. Sinkholes can also arise when the pressure of running water erodes soil through or around the drainage system.
According to the National Inventory of Dams, the average age is substantially exaggerated at 61 years old (Menéndez et al., 2020). Except for Alabama, 49 of the 50 states have established safety programs (Menéndez et al., 2020). All of these states have implemented contingency plans to reduce negative consequences in the case of a disaster. It is critical to notify adjacent populations as soon as possible in the case of an emergency in order to preserve lives and reduce the effect.
Earthquake-Proof Construction Techniques
Despite the seismic risk, mind-boggling buildings are being erected in Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan utilizing cutting-edge technology. Japan became a leader in the development of earthquake-resistant construction technologies, particularly levitating structures. In the event of an earthquake, the entire structure practically floats on a cushion of air.
In Japan, earthquake-resistant structures can rise 3 cm above the ground to insulate themselves from ground vibrations (Scuro et al., 2021). Sensors that detect seismic activity provide a signal to the compressor, causing it to turn on. With the aid of a compressor that injects air instantly, an air cushion is produced between the foundation and the base of the structure.
Powerful compressors are positioned on the building’s exterior. The air cushion enables the structure to float and so avoid or lessen destructive vibrations. When the earthquake is done, the compressor shuts off automatically, and the structure returns to its original position. The cost of this method is lower than that of other earthquake protection solutions, which is one of its advantages. Maintenance costs are low, and the technique is appropriate for structures of various heights.
However, as experience has shown, structures can collapse in high-intensity earthquakes despite being built in accordance with building codes and standards. Earthquakes in recent decades have revealed that structures of one kind do not have adequate seismic resistance (frame buildings), while others (large-panel, monolithic) do. This finding cannot be explained by calculations based on existing regulations.
Contradictions in earthquake-resistant construction theory and practice necessitate ongoing refinement of the recognized models of building and structural behavior during earthquakes. Because the likelihood of additional high-intensity earthquake epicenters is always growing, improving earthquake resilience is a pressing concern (Scuro et al., 2021). At the moment, architecture and construction technology are changing: buildings with increased stories that are complex and expressive in their structure and volume, mass spectacle buildings that make extensive use of new types of spatial coverings, and strategic buildings and structures that require increased seismic safety are being built.
There are several drawbacks to creating modern seismically safe buildings and structures. They include insufficient precision and dependability of seismic prediction, which may be explained by the complex nature of seismic activity, which is understudied despite considerable advancements in global and domestic seismology. As a result, not only earthquakes of the magnitude anticipated by the General Seismic Zoning maps but also earthquakes of greater magnitude are possible.
At the moment, earthquake-resistant construction criteria based on higher-intensity seismic effects, ground and geological conditions, building purpose, necessary seismic protection, seismic isolation of buildings, and legal and juridical norms have not been thoroughly developed. In the design and evaluation of the seismic resistance of existing buildings, the development of recommendations to improve the seismic resistance of earthquake-damaged buildings, and the analysis of the effectiveness of the seismic protection system, seismic resistance criteria should be clearly defined (Scuro et al., 2021). Construction and structural earthquake-resistant technologies demand continued advancement, including the creation of new construction models and calculation techniques, as well as the use of contemporary computer complexes. For example, the recognized design model of buildings in the shape of a cantilever rod for all structures, regardless of size, is flawed.
Concrete Reinforcement Techniques in Earthquake Zones
The potential difficulties of manufacturing and subsequent operation of pure concrete products are well known: this material perfectly tolerates significant compressive loads but easily cracks under tensile loads – which led to the emergence of reinforced structures. However, during operation, the outer layer of concrete in such structures inevitably deteriorates due to the action of a complex of atmospheric, chemical, and biological factors, resulting in a decrease in their strength characteristics and significant degradation of load-bearing capacity (Liu et al., 2021). Additional external/internal reinforcement of structures utilizing innovative technologies may be a cost-effective solution to this challenge.
To date, the “concrete plus metal” approach is employed to reinforce structures. However, it does not always assist in protecting the structure against seismic stresses. New technology emerges all the time, and progress never stops. There is now a means to fortify structures with carbon fiber, which allows for a fourfold reduction in load and an increase in seismic resistance of 1-2 points above the previous resistance (Zhou et al., 2021). It should be highlighted that carbon fiber (CF) sheets do not significantly reduce the original weight of the construction. The essence of this building approach is to join high-strength carbon fiber sheets using a specific epoxy glue with strong stickiness.
The advantage of concrete reinforcement is that carbon fiber has a high strength that surpasses that of steel for the same weight. This significantly increases the load-bearing capacity of the structure and improves its structural integrity. Also, the pros can be attributed to lightness, as carbon fiber is a very light material, which simplifies its transportation installation and does not put additional stress on the structure. This method makes it possible to resist corrosion, as carbon fiber is resistant to corrosion, so reinforcing structures with its help can prevent corrosion and increase their service life (Zhou et al., 2021). Carbon fiber is flexible and can be adapted to different shapes and sizes of structures, which facilitates its application in different projects.
However, strengthening concrete may be fairly costly, which is a drawback. Carbon fiber is a rather pricey material when compared to standard reinforcing materials like steel. The process of reinforcing buildings with carbon fiber necessitates certain skills and expertise to guarantee that the material is placed appropriately and effectively. It is also worth noting that strengthening buildings with carbon fiber might affect their look and necessitate further finishing work to restore the original aesthetic appearance. Low or middling fire resistance, as well as the annihilation of all characteristics when the material’s integrity is breached, are also downsides.
As a result, in terms of physical and mechanical qualities, this approach outperforms both steel and other composite materials. Carbon fiber is a relatively new material that is rather pricey per piece set, but it functions considerably better with normal concrete reinforcements. Since its heat resistance, impact resistance, chemical resistance, high service life, capacity to operate in limited areas, and durability, the quality attributes of carbon fiber composite are ideal for all climates (Liu et al., 2021). Furthermore, the weight of the supporting reinforced concrete structure is not increased by this procedure. Based on this, we may conclude that such external reinforcement is an effective method of strengthening building and structural structures.
Conclusion
Extreme natural disasters have always posed a threat to humanity. While there are several ways to respond to natural catastrophes today, the frequency of such events is growing drastically as a result of climate change. Humanity is approaching a phase of crises and disasters in which it is becoming increasingly reliant on the variety and quality of the biosphere’s resources. Earthquakes, floods, droughts, “normal” for nature but unnatural for people, and naturally generated mishaps in the resonant technosphere, inflicting major economic damage and occasionally resulting in human fatalities, are becoming increasingly visible.
Natural risks can be avoided by careful planning, preparation, and mitigation. Numerous economic and financial studies have underlined the necessity for catastrophe risk reduction and its accompanying advantages. They aid in the reduction of company losses, the improvement of national economies, and the saving of countless lives. To reduce the risk to the lives of people living in the affected region, states introduce protective structures such as dams and dikes.
New technologies are also being introduced into construction to make buildings stable enough to withstand earthquakes. However, these measures are imperfect and can even harm the environment. States need to pay more attention to this problem. They need to develop more effective strategies to protect the population and improve existing ones.
References
Liu, X., Gernay, T., Li, L. Z., & Lu, Z. D. (2021). Seismic performance of post-fire reinforced concrete beam-column joints strengthened with steel haunch system. Engineering Structures, 234. Web.
Menéndez, P., Losada, I. J., Torres-Ortega, S., Narayan, S., & Beck, M. W. (2020). The global flood protection benefits of mangroves. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1-11. Web.
Scuro, C., Carnì, D. L., Lamonaca, F., Olivito, R. S., & Milani, G. (2021). Preliminary study of an ancient earthquake-proof construction technique monitoring via an innovative structural health monitoring system. ACTA IMEKO, 10(1), 47-56. Web.
Serra‐Llobet, A., Kondolf, G. M., Magdaleno, F., & Keenan‐Jones, D. (2022). Flood diversions and bypasses: Benefits and challenges. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 9(1), e1562. Web.
Zhou, S. C., Demartino, C., Xu, J. J., & Xiao, Y. (2021). Effectiveness of CFRP seismic-retrofit of circular RC bridge piers under vehicular lateral impact loading. Engineering Structures, 243. Web.