Earthquake-proof
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An earthquake-proof building is a building that has been built to survive an earthquake. The building is built with technology made to help the building survive an earthquake. One type of technology is called 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. No building, however, can be made 100% safe and building earthquake proof structures to be more effective is just trial and error.
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 member 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 must be employed selectively because of their potential disadvantages. Tokyo contains these buildings.
Buildings fail in earthquakes because joints and connections cannot resist the tremendous stresses imposed by many tonnes of pressure concentrated on bolts, welds and other fixings. A monocoque structure is an integrated structure which is joint and connection free, any stresses generated by an earthquake are quickly dissipated around the structure causing no damage to the building see demonstration of a fifteen tonne building rocking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT9dqEoBqns&feature=related
