Earthquake Design

The Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco was built on a steel and concrete base that goes 52 feet underground. This base moves separately from the rest of the building, which allows the rest of the structure to remain stable. Which strategy have the engineers utilized?

• Create a Flexible Foundation

• Counter Forces with Damping

• Shield Buildings from Vibrations

• Reinforce the Building's Structure

The Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco was built with four inner frames extending from the 1st to 17th floors and two more extending to the 45th floor. Which strategy have the engineers utilized?

• Create a Flexible Foundation

• Counter Forces with Damping

• Shield Buildings from Vibrations

• Reinforce the Building's Structure

Tags

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

Taipei 101 has the largest tuned mass damper in the world located between the 87th and 92nd levels. How does this tuned mass damper help to make the building more resistant to earthquake damage?

• It creates an "invisible cloak" so that energy is rerouted around the building, rather than through the building.

• It allows the foundation of the building to move while keeping the rest of the building stable.

• It counteracts the motion of the building when it sways by moving in the opposite direction.

• It increases the weight of the building, which makes it more difficult to move.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

NGSS.HS-PS2-3

The Philippine Arena is the world's largest domed arena. The arena itself is lifted up and isolated from the base by a flexible system of lead rubber bearings (LRB). How do these LRB help to make the building more resistant to earthquake damage?

• They create an "invisible cloak" so that energy is rerouted around the building, rather than through the building.

• They allow the foundation of the building to move while keeping the rest of the building stable.

• They counteract the motion of the building when it sways by moving in the opposite direction.

• They increase the weight of the building, which makes it more difficult to move.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

NGSS.HS-PS2-3

Based on what you see in the picture, which strategy has been used in the "seismic isolated structure"?

• Create a Flexible Foundation

• Counter Forces with Damping

• Shield Buildings from Vibrations

• Reinforce the Building's Structure

Tags

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

NGSS.HS-PS2-3

Roman amphitheatres, such as the Colosseum, have been standing for two thousand years, despite being located in a seismically active area. Engineers suspect that the internal structure acts in the same way that a "seismic invisibility cloak" does. If that is the case, how do these structural patterns help to protect against earthquake damage?

• The energy from the earthquake is rerouted to reduce the impact on the building itself.

• The foundation of the building moves while the rest of the building remains stable.

• The motion of the building is counteracted by the motion of a pendulum.

• The building is very heavy, so it doesn't move very easily.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

NGSS.HS-PS2-3

The shock absorbers in your car's suspension system reduce the effect of driving over rough roads. The picture here shows shock absorbers designed for the Sutong Bridge in China, which can reduce the effect of shaking in an earthquake. Which of the following design strategies was utilized?

• Create a Flexible Foundation

• Counter Forces with Damping

• Shield Buildings from Vibrations

• Reinforce the Building's Structure

Tags

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

NGSS.HS-PS2-3

The building in the picture was designed with shear walls around the stairwells and around the elevator shaft in the center. What strategy is being used in this design?

• Create a Flexible Foundation

• Counter Forces with Damping

• Shield Buildings from Vibrations

• Reinforce the Building's Structure

Tags

NGSS.HS-ETS1-2

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3

The building in the picture was designed with shear walls around the stairwells and around the elevator shaft in the center. How do the shear walls help to protect the building from earthquake damage?

• They help the building keep its shape when the building shakes.

• They allow the base of the building to move while the rest of the building remains steady.

• They reroute the energy around the building so the vibrations don't go directly through it.

• They make the building heavier, which makes it more difficult to move.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-3

Steel and wood are commonly used building materials because they are relatively ductile. This means that these materials...

• can be deformed and stretched.

• can be broken into small pieces.

• are able to withstand high temperatures.

• are prettier than others.