The following points should be kept in mind during construction of building for the protection against ‘Earth Quake’.

• Building should be square or compact rectangular.
• Normally the ratio of length and breadth should not exceed 3 to 1.
• Building should be in closed shape or nearly so. It is preferred to construct the building in U or L shape.
• The parts of the building should be tied together firmly and braced at corners stiffly in such a way that the whole structure tends to move as single unit.
• If possible projecting parts should be avoided. Parapets, cornices, cantilevers’ projection should be reinforced and tied to the main structure firmly.
• The height of parapet wall should be three times less than the thickness. If the height is more, it should be reinforced with steel rods and should be fixed with roof slab or bottom wall.
• The structure should be made as light as possible because the force of earth quake is a function of the mass.
• Particularly, the roof and upper stories of building should be designed as light as possible.
• The thickness of any load bearing wall should not be less than 23 CM.
• Do not build the structure above 3 storeys and the height of one storey should not exceed 3 meters.
• The height of masonry wall should not exceed 1.5 times to the total width of building at its base. The total height of load bearing wall should not exceed 12 meters.
• Unsupported walls of more than 5 meters in length should be stiffened by brick or concrete pillars.
• Provide gaps of suitable widths between the adjoining structures to avoid collision during Earth Quake. Gap widths vary from 15 mm to 30 mm per storey.
• The thickness of ceiling plaster should not exceed 6 mm for reinforced concrete construction.
• The building should be symmetrical in plan and elevation.