New Quality Building

Future New Quality contruction site

Earthquake damages

Goals

Iran is one of the most earthquake prone countries in the world. Disasters such as the Bam earthquake in 2003 obviously demonstrate the necessity to construct earthquake resistant buildings. Therefore the ambition is to define structures that are capable of resisting earthquakes. This is to take place in the first phase with the New Quality Pilot Project as an example for domestic buildings. Apart from the planning process, realisation at the building site will also play an important role, because often problems are not to be found in an insufficient design but in an inadequate execution at the building site. For this reason training measures by German construction vocational training institutions will be arranged for Iranian construction workers in collaboration with the Strategic Dimension Qualification.

New Quality Bulding concept

Approach

The New Quality building is being developed based on a typical Iranian five-storey residential building, which is also erected in large quantities in Iranian New Towns. By easily implementable changes to the structural design and to the construction process the construction quality and the safety of the building will be improved significantly. As decisive aspects in the construction process the qualification of the construction workers and the building site supervision are to be influenced. The BHRC lead-manages the development of the New Quality building in frequent consultation with TU Berlin. The German consortium primarily contributes proposals regarding earthquake resistant structures and construction site organisation. The effects of the changes will be monitored in order to be implemented in New Towns construction if applicable.

New Qualitiy Building view

Outlook

The goal of the current analysis is to show how greater earthquake resistance for structures can be achieved by modifying the predominant construction method and optimising the execution of construction works in Iran. Therefore, further structural improvement together with changes in the building's vibration behaviour will be tested. The aim is to demonstrate recommendations for the planning of buildings that have a good load bearing behaviour in case of earthquakes. This knowledge shall be applied to the concrete example of the New Quality Pilot Project. The INTDC will erect the building from end of 2006 in Hashtgerd New Town on a plot neighbouring the 35 ha Pilot Project area.