 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
We know how to design buildings that can move with a quake without collapsing:
 |
Steel-reinforced concrete or wood-frame construction withstands the shaking better than brittle brick or adobe.
|
|
Base isolators, which absorb the motion and allow a building to stay put while the ground moves, are important foundation components for earthquake-prone areas.
|
|
Building on landfills amplifies the shaking and hastens the collapse of buildings during an earthquake. |
 But the problem is cost. Even in California, where the quake hazard is clear and present, thousands of structures don’t have the right seismic stuff.
Imagine the bill—and the logistics—for constructing quake-resistant buildings in the New Madrid fault area—one of the most densely populated sectors of the country.
Balancing a community’s other needs (schoolteachers, roads, public transportation) against the need to prepare for an earthquake that may or may not ever come can be difficult.
Continue to Volcanoes. >>
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
