Alicia Snchez Year 10 How to make buildings more resistant to earthquakes?

For many years, architects and engineers have been trying to find a way to make buildings more earthquake resistant and nowadays there are many methods to do so. Buildings are normally designed to support vertical weight or load; these are all the walls, roof and the objects that will go inside it. Nevertheless, earthquakes act as a sideways force and it is very hard for a structure to resist without collapsing. Despite this, there is an easy way to make buildings a bit more resistant to earthquakes and that is by attaching all the parts of the structure like walls, floors and roof to a fixed base. This fixed box will hold everything together in case there is an earthquake. A way to make buildings more resistant to earthquakes is to use shock absorbers or systems of ball bearings and springs. This technique is used so that buildings are not directly in contact with the floor and are floating or suspended, this decreases the impact the building receives itself and protects it from shock waves. Also, the walls and columns of the buildings should be reinforced; this could be done by adding a metallic layer on the inside. For a building to be more earthquake-proof, the materials used should be light- weighted and flexible. Flexible materials allow the building to move sideways during small earthquakes without collapsing. The resistance of a structure to earthquakes can also be improved if the roof is light because when an earthquake occurs, the weight of the roof upon the walls is the major cause for a building falling quickly over the people inside it. Another way to reduce the impact an earthquake may have on a building is to attach or connect all floors to the framing of the structure; this will help the building maintain its balance, especially if it is very high. One of the most modern ideas for earthquake resistant buildings is a Japanese home-levitation system. These innovative houses have a sensitiveearth movement sensor that detects when the ground is unstable and activates an air compressor that creates a cushion of air under the house in about half a second. This system can elevate the house up to 1.2 inches above the ground. Although this idea isnt very practical for many reasons, it can lead to future improvements in earthquake-resistant buildings. Sources: http://imaginationstationtoledo.org/content/2011/03/can-you-build-an-earthquakeproof-building/ http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-03/japanese-levitating-homes-could-surviveearthquakes-unscathed