Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Grade 8 Week 4: Earthquake Engineering

This week we discuss the effects of an earthquake.

What determines the amount of damage done in an earthquake?
How can we lessen the damage done by an earthquake?

During the week we will view a video on Earthquake Enginneering and then work to design a retrofit for Riverview.

All this leads up to this weeks contract where A contracts design and build a structure to stand up to an earthquake. I will try to topple them with a small tremor in class on Friday.

19 comments:

Charlie Tobin said...

The amount of damage is determind by how the structure built. even if you have a great design you have to use good materials, and also have it structurally sound. Have building more earthquake proof by adding dampers, cross braces, base isolaters, and sheer core.

Anonymous said...

if the building has cross brace or any other resisting thing against earthqauke will not get alot of damage.If the building does nt have the good resists it will get alot of damage

Jetzer said...

what is the worst earthquake that has ever happened in the world

keegan said...

earthquakes come in 3 waves the p wave or the primary wave, the S wave or the secondary wave, and the suface waves.

Unknown said...

you can have better bracing in the house.

Anonymous said...

Where has the most eathquakes happenned and how many were there in that place?

Anonymous said...

The ammout of damage is determind by the structure of the house, the streangth of the ground , and the awarness of where you are.These are some of the ways you can make your house stronger steel rienforcements and steel beams.

Anonymous said...

Earthquakes's are measured by their magnitudes on the Richter Scale, or Magnitude Scale. Some ways to "earthquake proof" a building are by putting dampers throughout the building, making the building out of steel, putting columns throughout the building, putting cross-braces on the walls and ceiling, and building buildings on solid ground, not loose soil.

Anton said...

Liquefaction is where water in the ground comes up in less dense soil. The building practically sinks into the ground.

Brady G said...

What determines the amount of damage done in an earthquake?
There are many different variables in the amount of damage like poulation, geographical location, location of epicenter, power of the earthquake, amount of buildings, time of day, building structure, building height, make up of rocks which the buildings are built on.

Hannah Larson said...

Hannah L said The builiding could be held up off the Ground by giant RUBBER BANDS so when an earthquake happens you will not feel it.

John said...

Jetzer

What do you mean 'worst'? The biggest or the one that has cost the most damage or the most casualties?


Hannah

Would it shake more between large RUBBER BANDS?

Dena Watson said...

The Richter scale determines how much damage an earthquake does. But if your building is stronger, it won't cause as much damage as a building that isn't.

Anonymous said...

A seismograph determines how much damage is done by an earthquake.Also, the structure of the building will determine how much damage is done to it. If you use the right materials, and have a good design, your home will be structurally sound. You can lessen the damage by teaching people about how to earthquake proof their homes, and by using dampers, cross-braces, base isolators, reinforced concrete, and more steel and wood.

josh lienau said...

so is a building today able to hold up to 10 pointer

matthew said...

The amount of damage an earthquake does is determined by many factors, here some of them are. Population matters, the more scarce the area the less deaths. Also building structure matters, if the building has cross braces, dampers, or base isolators you will be better. Also if the building is made of brick more damage will be done than wood, because brick doesn't allow flexibilty. Also the time of the day matters because if it is really early in the morning, people wont be as informed as if during the middle of the day. Also, to reduce damage you could harden the soil underneath the ground by digging poles deep down in the ground. That would make liquifaction go down and do less damage

Jetzer said...

Hoopman the one that cost the most damage

Willie said...

There's tons and tons of earthquakes registered and measured each day even though most of them aren't strong enough to be felt by humans. How many do you think they're actually are, about 10,000,000?

Cam Hauser said...

The amount of damage an earthquake does depends on it's location. it's magnitude, what time of day it is, if there are any mountains around it to stop the waves, how dence the rock above the focus is, the depth in of the focus, the type of matrials buildings around the earthquake, the awareness of the earthquake, and the number of people near the earthquake.