TLC :: Earthquakes: Tremor Tech

February 13, 2012

Tremor Tech

	EXPAND EXPAND EXPAND EXPAND Tremor Tech: Protection From the Bottom Up Tremor Tech Protection From the Bottom Up Holding It Together Keeping the Pieces in Place When Working Together Is Bad Fire Protection Earthquake Prediction Measuring Quakes There are two schools of thought on how to use the foundation to quake-proof a building. One method is to tie the foundation to the superstructure — the upper part of the building — as solidly as possible. That way, when the ground shakes, the two pieces may move as a unit, instead of having the upper floors topple. An alternative strategy is to design the superstructure to move atop the foundation, so that despite the shaking beneath it, the building will remain in one place.

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Pictures: Courtesy of Godden Collection/Earthquake Engineering Research Center/University of California, Berkeley | Godden Collection/National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering/University of California, Berkeley | Courtesy of Godden Collection/Earthquake Engineering Research Center/University of California, Berkeley (2) |

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