INTRODUCTION: ANTECEDENTS

EARTHQUAKES are one of the greatest catastrophes affecting humankind; their destructive nature has caused thousands of victims, psychological impact and incalculable physical damage.

PRESENTATION: EGEOMOL-AV® SYSTEM

It is an antiseismic (antivibratory in general) system which acts as a shock-absorbing mattress, impeding the seismic waves from penetrating and affecting a building. Its finality is to save human lives, avoid material damage and contribute to an improvement and equilibrium of the environment.

A PREVENTION SYSTEM AGAINST EARTHQUAKES

Current systems of prevention against earthquakes are, generally, of a seismic-resistant nature, their objective being to STRENGTHEN the building structure so it can RESIST the impacts of seismic movements.

The seismic energy, once penetrated into the structure, does not disappear until it is completely transformed into MOVEMENT, DEFORMATION, BREAKAGE OR HEAT. (Principle of the Conservation of Energy.) Breakage absorbs the most amount of energy.

The EGEOMOL-AV® system anticipates the problem, canceling the seismic waves and absorbing a great quantity of its related energy before it penetrates into the building structure. "It is better to be safe than sorry."

THE USE OF NEW MATERIALS

The use of materials made of plastics in the EGEOMOL-AV® system is an innovation within the field of construction, as well as having a low acquisition cost.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM

The EGEOMOL-AV® system is composed of two plates made of plastic, joined by a central silentblock. In the interior is an elastic brace, filled with a solid material of hydraulic properties.

TYPE A

TYPE B

TYPE C

This granulated solid of hydraulic property transmits the pressure to the elastic brace without losing its capacity as a reservoir. It also allows for the calibration of Factor Damping of the system in function of its size, shape, and elastic properties.

OPTIMIZATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Ninety percent of the prime materials used are composed of plastics.

This makes for an optimal use of natural resources, since in addition to NOT exploiting available resources, it contributes to a solution to environmental problems which other industries have generated.

APPLICATION AND USE IN CONSTRUCTION

The System is of easy application, requiring little and nonspecialized manual work. It is installed between the floor and foundations of the building; it can play a contributing role to the cleanliness and regularization of the base of the foundations.

DURABILITY AND MAINTENANCE

The placement of the system in the subsoil without oxygen, safeguarded from ultraviolet rays and of changes in humidity and temperature, makes for no necessary maintenance and a greater durability than that of the building itself. In addition, the materials used are very stable, a necessary quality for durability and maintenance.

BEHAVIORAL MODEL: EGEOMOL-AV® SYSTEM

The System acts as a CONDENSER of the energy intercalated between the wave train and the building itself, using the potential energy of the weight of the building to cancel the waves through the inversion of the phase. It exhibits the same behavior unto both vertical and horizontal waves.

SAFETY OF THE SYSTEM: TECHNICAL TESTS

Tests carried out in the laboratories of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, directed by Professors of the school of Construction and the Superior School of Roads, Channels and Ports, have verified and reflected through a technical report that the system can resist the pressures of 40 kg/cm2, equivalent to a housing building of over one hundred floors, having a security coefficient greater than 3, with deformations compatible with the structure and its function.

ECONOMIC COSTS

The application of the system supposes approximately 1.5% of the cost of construction in the case of a housing building of six to ten stories tall. Its use accounts for an effective saving in the maintenance of the building against the wear occasioned by all types of vibrations, traffic of wheeled vehicles, adjacent structures, etc., and an efficient prevention against possible physical damages, human deaths and psychological effects occasioned by seismic movements.

CONCLUSIONS

Given its contribution as an efficient means with which to prevent the effects of earthquakes, for its economy, its effect in improving the environment, and its repercussions on business globally, the project can be considered of interest and of economic, social, and environmental transcendence.