Why Do Buildings Fall in Earthquakes?

What primarily causes buildings to collapse during an earthquake?

• Weak building materials

• Splitting apart of the ground

• Displacement of the foundation and lower levels

• Direct shaking of the ground

What are the two main factors that determine the strength of a building's oscillation during an earthquake?

• Location and age

• Amount of glass

• Mass and stiffness

• Height and width

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What factors determine the stiffness of a building? Select ALL correct answers.

• Type of materials

• Shape of the columns

• Height of the building

• Depth of the foundation

Which buildings are stiffer?

• Taller

• Shorter

What is natural frequency in the context of buildings?

• The weight of the building

• The rate at which a building naturally vibrates

• The speed at which the ground shakes

• The height of the building

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What phenomenon caused the midsized buildings to collapse during the 1985 Mexico City earthquake?

• Momentum

• Inertia

• Resonance

• Wavelength

What 2 modern engineering solutions were just mentioned that help prevent building collapse during earthquakes?

• Deeper foundations

• Tuned Mass Dampers

• Using base isolation

• Using bracing & shear walls

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NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

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