Design Strategies to Improve Hotel Buildings’ Resilience to Earthquake in Nigeria

Abstract

A hotel building acts as a multidisciplinary property that provides facilities and services to temporary guests; it serves as a foundation of the hospitality sector. Among the many dangers facing hotel structures, earthquakes constitute a significant risk, especially in areas prone or susceptible to seismic activity. The aim of this study is to examine the design strategies to improve hotel buildings’ resilience to earthquake in Nigeria. The research method employed in this study is the qualitative research method and observation was used as instrument for data collection. These data were gathered from hotel buildings that are being designed with earthquake resilient measures through purposive sampling techniques; this technique is suitable for selecting from a widespread of samples. The analysis of these data was done using content analysis on publication sources which where then further analyzed and presented using tables, and charts and the results revealed that 70.71% of the structural system of the sampled hotel buildings are made of reinforced concrete, 15.73% use of steel trusses, short beams and columns, 7.8% of basement floors, 5.34% built with base isolations/dampers and 0.42% use of buckle bracings. Based on the findings, this study recommends that hotel buildings should carry out seismic hazard assessments, make use of structural systems such as steel and reinforced concrete structural systems, develop open plans for hotels with base isolators/energy dissipating tools, ensure proper bracing of the hotel buildings, and create an emergency action plan that addresses safe spaces and evacuation protocols as well as install solid communication channels to alert personnel and visitors to an earthquake and informing emergency services.