17/07/2023
IS 1893 Draft 2023.
This wall is as seen today at a historic location Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The historical information mentioned that, it was constructed in the 12th century. If the wall had experienced any strong seismic motions, this open joint structure would not have stood like as seen today. It confirms that in the last 900 years that location was free of moderate/ high seismic activities.
It's not just some mathematical recurrence assumptions based on some scanty data, that are to be relied blindly, but observing the natural laws in nature is equally important.
The intact stone piles of weathered rocks as seen in the vicinity of Hyderabad, clearly confirm that for thousands and thousands of years there was no seismic activity. Are we not unnecessarily designing for higher seismic forces and restricting configurations in low seismic zones like Hyderabad? ( Please see pics attached in the comments.)
It is otherwise also possible. Aurangabad in Maharashtra, nowhere such stone piles of rock mass is observed which means there was seismic activity in the last few thousands years. But the code considered the seismicity of Aurangabad equal to that of Hyderabad.
Feel concerned about unnecessary penalties going to be imposed on structures in the low seismicity areas for non existent probability.
