I keep hearing about these high tech tuned dampers, shock absorbers, special giant roller bearings etc that are put under skyscrapers to protect them against earthquakes. But have any of these things proven themselves in a major earthquake – where one building has these high-tech things and remains standing, and another similar building does not have those things, and falls over?
I personally, think these things are stupid and are impossible to test in a real world situation , until the real thing happens.
Chosen Answer:
Actually, yes – California is a pioneer (by necessity, really) of earthquake protection for buildings. Many of our bridges, buildings, and other important structures have been reinforced for earthquakes, and new buildings are required to have safeguards in place to help mitigate the devastating effect of earthquakes. It’s true that no protection is enough against sufficiently powerful quakes, but the Northridge earthquake of 1994 showed how safety features like the ones you’re describing have helped to save lives.
by: Phill
on: 24th May 11