As seen in the Middle East, modern monolithic concrete buildings fell, while traditional half-timbered ones withstood earthquakes. Concrete is not "cozy", and could leak if badly designed or built. It is also difficult/expensive to maintain or repair.
Getting people down from very high buildings needs to be improved.
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Earthquakes and skyscrapers
Posted by glassfiberoptics
24th Aug 2011
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Don't get me started.
Edited by Hates Idiots
Updated - 25th Aug 2011
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Earthquakes and skyscrapers
Posted by glassfiberoptics
24th Aug 2011
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That's not the comparison
Yes, an ordinary wood frame house is relatively safe. They have relatively low loads for their materials & construction. Even if you're in 1 that gets totaled, you're likely to survive inside it. But the comparison here is between newer tall, steel frame buildings vs older, short, masonry construction buildings. A really tall building is never monolithic no matter how it might look. It's a steel frame with relatively thin floors & even thinner walls.
Posted by hoodedswan
24th Aug 2011
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nyc skyscrapers
"A 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered on Fifth Ave. would send shattered glass cascading from skyscrapers, trigger fires and give New Yorkers a severe case of nerves"
yet, on 9/11 two towers that were especially designed to w/stand even the impact of planes were reduced to rubble in seconds, falling w/in their footprints; as well as a third, shorter but broader tower (47 stories), which was not even hit by a plane.
yet, on 9/11 two towers that were especially designed to w/stand even the impact of planes were reduced to rubble in seconds, falling w/in their footprints; as well as a third, shorter but broader tower (47 stories), which was not even hit by a plane.
Posted by LatAm
24th Aug 2011
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Don't get me started.
The impacts on those buildings did far more damage than people realize. One item the building designer never planned for was foundation damage caused by multiple 8,000 lb elevators falling 40 + stories after the cables had been cut by the planes.
Survivors who were in the parking garages at the time of impact said the damage they saw in the underground garages caused by the multiple falling elevators matched the damage done in the failed truck bomb of 1993.
The damage was so extensive that rumors were still flying in 2008 about truck bombs being used in conjunction with the planes.
Survivors who were in the parking garages at the time of impact said the damage they saw in the underground garages caused by the multiple falling elevators matched the damage done in the failed truck bomb of 1993.
The damage was so extensive that rumors were still flying in 2008 about truck bombs being used in conjunction with the planes.
Posted by Hates Idiots
Updated - 25th Aug 2011
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They what?
The buildings "bended". Really, because I could have sworn they bent.
Posted by littlemas2
25th Aug 2011