earthquake resistant building design

[Charlie Ward]

How do I make an earthquake reisitant model with the following requirements
45 cm tall
can support 500 grams
can only use :
3 straws
3 rubber bands
3 styrofoam pieces
10 popsicle sticks
10 toothpicks
1 bottle of glue

[tdaly]

When it comes to building earthquake resistant buildings, geotechnical engineers apply many principles, most of which can be applied to your model. One of the most important principles in seismic engineering is that of redundancy; that is, having two different supports that do the same thing. For example, the second floor in a multi-story building is held up by more than one support beam. A second principle is that of bracing. Buildings often fail (are damaged) in an earthquake because the building moves more than it was designed to. So, engineers often use cross bracing to add extra support and stability to buildings. The last technique is that of isolation, minimizing direct transfer of seismic waves between the building and the Earth.

More information on all of these approaches can be found by searching on the Internet. Both the USGS and the MCEER maintain up-to-date information on seismic safety. When you do your search, try typing in "seismic engineering USGS" or "seismic engineering MCEER." You will get many results, though some of them might be to technical it you are not particulary familiar with building principles.

If you have any other questions (or need help applying these principles to your model) please do not hesitate to ask.