vendredi 3 mai 2019

Options For Earthquake Bracing For Manufactured Homes

By Patrick Evans


Mobile homes are at the highest risk of damage during an earthquake due to their lightweight. Therefore, state authorities in earthquake-prone areas demand that such buildings should use the right bracing methods to protect themselves from damage. This article provides various types of earthquake bracing for manufactured homes to consider.

Rely on shear walls. Shear walls are vertical structures installed between walls to create enough strength that can stand seismic movements. The walls are either placed as flagged sections or as planes. You can put them up at the center of a wall to cut down on your expenses. Such an approach is quite rare, but it is ideal for someone with a limited budget and a place with low seismic rates.

Consider the sill plates. In most places, people usually consider the sill plates as sills. They are horizontal structures attached to their vertical members to create resistance on lateral earth movement. Lumber has been the most common material used for this process, but modern structures have adopted other materials. Homeowners can have the sill plates made from the factory if they intend to purchase a custom house.

Consider using braced frames. The braced structure is ideal for preventing lateral movement of a house during a seismic movement. Their functionality is similar to trusses and shear wall. However, it involves vertical blocks attached to the walls to make them stronger. You can rely on ordinary or special braced frame depending on the level of seismic movement in your area.

Choose the isolation method. Base isolation detaches a house from the earth surface reducing the effect of lateral movement. Therefore, it works by decoupling the earthquake force from home. These structures use two elements to be effective. These include an isolation unit and isolation components. The isolation components work as a connection between two elements while the units provide the decoupling effect.

Consider the pier structures. Pier structures are modern techniques that work similarly to the isolation panels. However, they are quite different since they do not have a rigid frame compared with the isolation panels. They have structures that support the building from different points. You need to attach the house onto the end of the piers to ensure that they offer a remarkable decoupling effect.

Decide on the rigid framing method. The rigid frames are braces that interconnect to form a rigid connection. They provide stiffness that can withstand the kind of force created during a seismic movement. There are two assumptions made to make this process a success. For starters, there is an assumption that the beams move freely. Also, there is an assumption that the frames do not change the total load after creating the framing connection.

Besides having all these types of bracing to consider, you need to find a couple of things to make it successful. First, acquaint with the weak points of your house and determine which structure is ideal for its reinforcement. Besides that, acknowledge the seismic level within your area and your budget. Finally, identify a professional contractor who has experience in these structure to advice and install the bracing method that you choose.




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