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The height of a particular building can make a difference in the amount of sustained damage due to ground acceleration at the base of the building.

The building has a inertia. During an earthquake, the ground shakes by accelerating in a particular direction and then accelerating back in the opposite direction. While the base of the building is accelerating, the remainder of the building has inertia that tries to keep it in one spot. There is more "building" that is resisting the acceleration in a tall building than in a small building.

Imagine holding on to a foot-long ruler and shaking it back and forth; you should feel the 'whip' effect as the top of the ruler struggles to keep up with the base of the ruler in your hand. Now, use the same amount of force but with a yardstick; you should feel a considerably higher amount of 'whip' and wobbling as the entire yard's worth of wood tries to keep up. The effect is similar to a large building; the top of the building 'whips' about as the base is shaken.

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14y ago

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Why do earthquakes destroy some buildings and not others?

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Areas prone to earthquakes should be identified so that people can prepare for them. Most notably, bridges and public buildings should be built to withstand earthquakes.


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Areas prone to earthquakes should be identified so that people can prepare for them. Most notably, bridges and public buildings should be built to withstand earthquakes.


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Do earthquakes cause a lot of damage to property?

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