Architecture

[psi20]

How do those "earthquake shock absorbing foundations" work? What are they made of? How do skyscrapers get so high? If skyscrapers are so big and heavy, why aren't they collapsing? Will a skyscraper collapse even with the best architecture if it has too much weight? Does the top of the skyscraper tilt first before the bottom in an earthquake? How heavy can a skyscraper be?

 

If a terrorist plane is rammed into a geodesic dome, will the whole dome collapse? Would earthquake proof foundations of a geodesic dome be the same as an ordinary house? If you had geodesic domes underground, and an earthquake hit, would the dome break? How do you prevent the collapse?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

That's a lot of questions!

1: Earthquake foundations use columns resting on giant ball bearings.

2: Skyscrapers get high because of the strenght of steel.

3: Because steel is strong.

4: Yes, but they try to avoid that.

5: No. The top stays in the same position, and the bottom moves.

6: Depends.

7: Depends on where it hit.

8: Yes.

9: No.