The Impact of Wenchuan Earthquake on Structures

摘要

A field investigation of the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan earthquake-affected areas in China was conducted. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of the event on brick masonry structures, concrete block masonry structures, stone masonry structures, adobe structures, concrete structures and timber structures. The causes of structural failures due to the earthquake included bad site choice, bad material choice, soft story, non-ductile detailing, unreinforced masonry, inadequate construction quality, etc. Traditional timber structures survived with minimum structural damage due to high ductility, low stiffness and light mass. It is concluded that structures constructed and designed according to the provisions of current codes with attention to detailing would have survived the ground motion without collapse.