What are some earthquake proof building designs?
There are no truly earthquake-proof buildings, but there are design elements which can greatly increase a building’s resistance to earthquake stresses. A modern California house is extremely resistant to earthquakes. The wood frame can flex in response to uneven loads, and the use of shear walls and solid connections between structural elements allows stresses to be distributed more evenly, with less risk of a single stress point leading to collapse. Base isolation systems are also effective and about as close to “earthquake-proof” as possible, and these can be retrofitted to existing buildings.
