Earthquake Recording Instrumentation for Buildings

• The science of structural response to earthquakes is about to get a massive data resource boost due to a mandate introduced in the Philippines for seismic instrumentation in buildings.
• In recent years PHIVOLCS (the national earthquake authority) have warned that an earthquake of up to magnitude 7.2 is overdue for the West Valley Fault, which would be potentially devastating for Manila and surrounding populated areas. In 2015, the Department of Public Works and Highways issued a directive to all building officials that the seismic monitoring requirement would no longer have exemptions.
• The engineers at ESS Earth Sciences in conjunction with the seismologists at the Seismology Research Centre have ensured that the new Kelunji Gecko-HR strong motion accelerograph  meets the requirements specified in the DPWH guidelines. Taking less than an hour to setup, the Gecko SMA-HR records ground and building vibrations continuously, with over a year of data stored in the memory buffer, ensuring no earthquake is ever missed. With its simple LCD and keypad interface, the Gecko can be set up without a computer without the need for highly trained technical staff.

 

(Images/video taken from google/IE)