Earthquake-proof
From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.
An earthquake-proof building must be built with a few innovations discovered in the second half of the 20th century. The first innovation is isolated base technology. This involves using a coil or other flexible support and placing it between the structure and the foundation of the building. This system counteracts the motion of the seismic waves. As the earthquake moves the foundation one way, the support moves the other way, and the building stays nearly completely stationary. Another feature of modern buildings is the use of cross-supports in between the frame supports, or between the corners of the frame. These supports hold the structure together during an earthquake.
The use of fire proof materials to build the construction works better because there are many fires when earthquakes occur because gas pipelines shake and explosions initiate.
A building's strength also has to do with the material of which it is composed. Most modern buildings use steel alloys, but concrete is sometimes used for smaller buildings. If one designs a building out of steel but does not utilize the materials correctly, that person will make just as weak a building as a building made out of wood. The use of materials is a critical aspect of a building; it will determine whether a building will withstand an earthquake.
During the violent shaking of a high-magnitude earthquake, an outrigger will support the structure. If the structure begins to fail, the outriggers will hold up the structure. The problem with an outrigger system is that if an outrigger were to fail from the force of a collapsing building, the damage would increase outside the perimeter of the building as the outrigger fell outwards. Outriggers might be employed selectively because of their potential disadvantages.