Earthquake-resistant

structures are structures designed to

withstand earthquakes. While no structure can be
entirely immune to damage from earthquakes, the goal
of e

arthquake-resistant construction is to erect structures

that

fare better during seismic activity than their

conventional counterparts.
According to building codes, earthquake-resistant
structures are intended to withstand the largest earthquake of a

certain probability that is likely to occur at their location. This means the loss of life should be
minimized by preventing collapse of the buildings for rare earthquakes while the loss of functionality
should be limited for more frequent ones.[1]
To combat earthquake destruction, the only method available to ancient architects was to build their
landmark structures to last, often by making them excessively stiff and strong, like the El Castillo
pyramid at Chichen Itza.

Snapshot from shake-table video of testing [2] base-isolated (right) and regular (left)
building model

Currently, there are several design philosophies in earthquake engineering,

making use of experimental results, computer simulations and observations
from past earthquakes to offer the required performance for the seismic
threat at the site of interest. These range from appropriately sizing the
structure to be strong and ductile enough to survive the shaking with an
acceptable damage, to equipping it withbase isolation or using
structural vibration control technologies to minimize any forces and
deformations. While the former is the method typically applied in most earthquake-resistant
structures, important facilities, landmarks and cultural heritage buildings use the more advanced
(and expensive) techniques of isolation or control to survive strong shaking with minimal damage.
Examples of such applications are the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and the Acropolis
Museum.

How do you build an Earthquake-proof building?

After the massive earthquake near Japan this morning one wonders if its possible to build an earthquake-proof
building? The answer is yes and no. There are of course, engineering techniques that can be used to create a very
sound structure that will endure a modest or even strong quake. However, during a very strong earthquake, even the
best engineered building may suffer severe damage. Engineers design buildings to withstand as much sideways
motion as possible in order to minimize damage to the structure and give the occupants time to get out safely.

Effect of isolating the base of a building subject to a sideways ground movement.

Buildings are basically designed to support a vertical load in order to support the walls, roof and all the stuff inside to
keep them standing. Earthquakes present a lateral, or sideways, load to the building structure that is a bit more
complicated to account for. One way to to make a simple structure more resistant to these lateral forces is to tie the
walls, floor, roof, and foundations into a rigid box that holds together when shaken by a quake.
The most dangerous building construction, from an earthquake point of view, is unreinforced brick or concrete block.
Generally, this type of construction has walls that are made of bricks stacked on top of each other and held together
with mortar. The roof is laid across the top. The weight of the roof is carried straight down through the wall to the
foundation. When this type of construction is subject to a lateral force from an earthquake the walls tip over or
crumble and the roof falls in like a house of cards.
Construction techniques can have a huge impact on the death toll from earthquakes. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake in
Chile in 2010 killed more than 700 people. On January 12, 2010, a less powerful earthquake, measuring 7.0, killed
more than 200,000 in Haiti.
The difference in those death tolls comes from building construction and technology. In Haiti, the buildings were
constructed quickly and cheaply. Chile, a richer and more industrialized nation, adheres to more stringent building
codes.

Skyscrapers

730 ton motion damper inside the Taipei 101 skyscraper

As the buildings get bigger and taller other techniques are employed such as base isolation. During the past 30
years, engineers have constructed skyscrapers that float on systems of ball bearings, springs and padded cylinders.
Acting like shock absorbers in a car, these systems allow the building to be decoupled from the shaking of the
ground.
Watch the video below to see these system in action. These buildings dont sit directly on the ground, so theyre
protected from some earthquake shocks. In the event of a major earthquake, they can sway up to a few feet. The
buildings are surrounded by moats, or buffer zones, so they dont swing into other structures.
Another technique to dampen the swaying of a tall building is to build in a large (several tons) mass that can sway at
the top of the building in opposition to the building sway. Known as tuned mass dampers, these devices can reduce
the sway of a building up to 30 to 40 percent. The Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center,
has just such a giant pendulum mounted between the 88th and 92nd floors. Weighing in at 730 tons and capable of
moving 5ft in any direction, it takes the prize as the worlds largest and heaviest building damper. In fact, it is so heavy
that it had to be constructed on site since it is to heavy to be lifted by a crane.