Activity 6 - Designing
"Earthquake-Proof" Structures

Use the resources listed below to help you complete this activity.

State-Based Resources
General Resources

State-Based Resources: Preparing for the Chapter Challenge

Address the design of new structures and possible changes to older structures in your community.

There are currently no resources listed for this state.

State-Based Resources: Inquiring Further

The National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering provides an excellent overview of numerous structures as well as photographs of earthquake-resistant design. Visit the following websites for more information on how to locate this data.

"Building Safer Structures" - USGS Fact Sheet 167-95
Deals with the challenges of reducing earthquake related losses by constructing earthquake safe buildings. Contains many good photos of earthquake damage.

"Saving Lives Through Better Design Standards" - USGS Fact Sheet 176-95
Reviews effects of ground shaking of surface structures and steps being taken to improve building codes to construct safer structures.

Earthquake Engineering Research -
University of California, Berkeley
Images and information about earthquake damage around the world.

"Geologic Hazards Photos - Earthquakes
NOAA
General information about columns as building supports and excellent slides of earthquake damage to buildings.

General information related to this activity:

Duration of shaking

"Earthquake Ground Shaking and its Potential Effects in the San Francisco Bay Region for a Repeat of the Great 1906 Earthquake" - USGS, by R.D. Borcherdt, G. Glassmoyer, and C.Wentworth
This is an online slide show which can be broken up into three parts (1906 and 1989 Earthquake Damage, Application of GIS Technology, and Earthquake Ground Shaking Maps for the San Francisco Bay Region). The entire "show" takes about 15 minutes and can be viewed with or without sound.

Underlying Earth Materials

"Soil Type and Shaking Hazard in the San Francisco Bay Area" by Linda C. Seekins , Jack Boatwright, and Tom Fumal, USGS

Building Materials

National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering Research - University of California, Berkeley
Images and information about earthquake damage around the world.

"Building Safer Structures" - USGS Fact Sheet 167-95
Deals with the challenges of reducing earthquake related losses by constructing earthquake safe buildings. Contains many good photos of earthquake damage.

"Saving Lives Through Better Design Standards" - USGS Fact Sheet 176-95
Reviews effects of ground shaking of surface structures and steps being taken to improve building codes to construct safer structures.

"Geologic Hazards Photos - Earthquakes
NOAA
General information about columns as building supports and excellent slides of earthquake damage to buildings.

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Last updated: May 11, 2010

This project is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation and the AGI Foundation. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.