Comments on: How do I make a earthquake proof building? http://earthquakequestions.com/how-do-i-make-a-earthquake-proof-building.htm Everything You Want To Know About Earthquakes Sat, 04 Sep 2010 02:28:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: amansscientiae http://earthquakequestions.com/how-do-i-make-a-earthquake-proof-building.htm/comment-page-1#comment-7613 amansscientiae Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:48:13 +0000 http://earthquakequestions.com/how-do-i-make-a-earthquake-proof-building.htm#comment-7613 Try something with a lot of diagonals. http://images.google.com/images?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hl=en&q=EARTHQUAKE+PROOF+BUILDINGS&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 All buildings with right angles have easily excitable mechanical resonances at relatively low frequencies. Especially shear modes where one floor moves parallel to another lead to knocked out walls and the buildings collapse easily. The angled walls will transfer the motion from the lower floors to the upper floors better and the whole building is more likely to move in one direction. This limits the amount of shear forces on walls. Since the walls are already designed to hold up under an angle other than vertical (box buildings are usually nothing but a heavy house of cards... once a wall leans... it falls!) it is much harder to push the walls over. Structures which have these diagonals are also much stiffer and the resonance frequencies are past the range of excitations during an earthquake. The result is that less energy gets transfered into the building and the structure are far more likely to survive without any major damage. Try something with a lot of diagonals.

http://images.google.com/images?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hl=en&q=EARTHQUAKE+PROOF+BUILDINGS&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

All buildings with right angles have easily excitable mechanical resonances at relatively low frequencies.

Especially shear modes where one floor moves parallel to another lead to knocked out walls and the buildings collapse easily. The angled walls will transfer the motion from the lower floors to the upper floors better and the whole building is more likely to move in one direction. This limits the amount of shear forces on walls. Since the walls are already designed to hold up under an angle other than vertical (box buildings are usually nothing but a heavy house of cards… once a wall leans… it falls!) it is much harder to push the walls over.

Structures which have these diagonals are also much stiffer and the resonance frequencies are past the range of excitations during an earthquake. The result is that less energy gets transfered into the building and the structure are far more likely to survive without any major damage.

]]> By: slimdude142 http://earthquakequestions.com/how-do-i-make-a-earthquake-proof-building.htm/comment-page-1#comment-7614 slimdude142 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:48:13 +0000 http://earthquakequestions.com/how-do-i-make-a-earthquake-proof-building.htm#comment-7614 Modern buildings particular those constructed in California or in Japan,have huge shock-absorbers beneath at the buildings foundation, so there would be no motion when a earthquake or aftershock should occur. Perhaps you may want to get some spiral shaped pasta, to get the project started. Modern buildings particular those constructed in California or in Japan,have huge shock-absorbers beneath at the buildings foundation, so there would be no motion when a earthquake or aftershock should occur. Perhaps you may want to get some spiral shaped pasta, to get the project started.

]]> By: rotis93 http://earthquakequestions.com/how-do-i-make-a-earthquake-proof-building.htm/comment-page-1#comment-7615 rotis93 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:48:13 +0000 http://earthquakequestions.com/how-do-i-make-a-earthquake-proof-building.htm#comment-7615 I would think that a building securely situated on large dampeners, that also incorporated triangles, or other such strong angles into its design. Would help. I also think that it would need some materials that have the ability to bend without breaking would help. Remember to be careful with such terms as "earthquake proof" remember that a degree of humility and disclaimer type statements are important to engineering, for should we forget the lesson of the Titanic (the unsinkable ship that well sank) we doom are proffession in the eyes of the general public. I would think that a building securely situated on large dampeners, that also incorporated triangles, or other such strong angles into its design. Would help.
I also think that it would need some materials that have the ability to bend without breaking would help.

Remember to be careful with such terms as "earthquake proof"
remember that a degree of humility and disclaimer type statements are important to engineering, for should we forget the lesson of the Titanic (the unsinkable ship that well sank) we doom are proffession in the eyes of the general public.

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