earthquake and tall buildings

May 09, 2006 4 Replies

Has anybody yet constructed an tall office building that incorporates active earthquake resistance features? (i.e. a building that uses an actively responsive mass to maintain equilibrium). I realise that 'passive' versions exist, but I'm interested to know if the technology has gone any further. I've seen a number of papers on the subject and assume this idea hasn't got beyond the drawing board...


Try posting this query to sci.engr.civil

You might get a better response.

actually, from what i remember, small buildings are in more danger than taller ones. The resonance of the earth moving is more easily absorbed by a very tall one than a medium or small one.

It all depends on the specific earthquake and the P and S waves that hit the building. If they happen to hit on a tall building's (or any building's) harmonic, it's a problem.

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