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Earthquakes: Improving the Odds for Survival
| Article
# : |
17769 |
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Section : |
NATURAL SCIENCE
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| Issue
Date : |
6 / 1990 |
2,229 Words |
| Author
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Ian G. Buckle
Ian G. Buckle is deputy director of the National Center for
Earthquake Engineering Research at the State University of New
York. |
Of all the natural hazards that are experienced around the world, perhaps the most terrifying and unforgiving is the large-magnitude earthquake. It is terrifying because it occurs without warning and catches people unprepared. It is unforgiving because it searches out every structural weakness and societal flaw without mercy. Certainly the continuing struggle to survive these "rapid onset disasters" has led to a better understanding of earthquakes, but every year hundreds of people are killed and property is damaged and destroyed by them.
In fact, more people are at risk today than even a decade ago due to the explosive growth of metropolitan centers in seismically hazardous regions. Furthermore, the infrastructure necessary to sustain this growth is struggling to keep up with the demand, and earthquake protection is, in many cases, the lowest item on the priority list.
Recent damaging earthquakes in Mexico City, Armenia, and Northern California have highlighted the vulnerability of the built environment. Collapsing buildings and bridges have killed and injured people. Earthquakes have ruptured pipelines, started fires, and disrupted and destroyed businesses. The emotional scars have taken longer to heal than the physical ones. Some people have never recovered.
But unlike a nuclear war or other manmade disaster, earthquakes cannot be prevented or resisted. Engineers cannot build earthquake-proof structures. Instead, building codes target life safety as the primary and only objective, with structural damage acceptable provided lives are not lost. Arm wrestling with a major earthquake is not a winnable proposition; instead, we strive to be
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