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Tall buildings built to seismic code are some of the safest structures to be in in an earthquake. Though you'll probably need a change of underwear afterwards:

Tall buildings built to seismic code are some of the safest structures to be in in an earthquake. Though you'll probably need a change of underwear afterwards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NisWbAXfyWI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NisWbAXfyWI

BinaryIdiot 10y ago
Holy crap you're not kidding! That's incredibly cool and terrifying at the same time! I wonder how this tower in SF compares and if it did meet seismic code, will the sinking and leaning eventually take it out of code?
PhantomGremlin 10y ago
A building can have a tuned mass damper[1] to help counteract the swaying. You can even turn that into a tourist attraction of sorts.[2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuned_mass_damper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuned_mass_damper [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohKqE_mwMmo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohKqE_mwMmo
- wlesieutre 10y ago
  Taipei 101 even turned it into a mascot of sorts, the Damper Baby http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-damper-baby-and-tuned-mass-damper-in-taipei-101-it-was-the-worlds-52580647.html http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-damper-baby-and-tuned-mass-... http://josellesoh.deviantart.com/art/damper-baby-292759048 http://josellesoh.deviantart.com/art/damper-baby-292759048
ScottBurson 10y ago
I was asleep on about the 20th floor of a hotel in LA in 1992 when the 7.3 Landers and 6.5 Big Bear earthquakes hit [0]. The building (which I believe was on rollers) was rocking quite noticeably. I wasn't afraid for myself, though by the large, low-frequency motion I could tell it was a very large earthquake whose epicenter was a good distance away. I hoped it hadn't just taken out San Diego. Though I'll admit, to go back to sleep and then be wakened by a second large quake (Big Bear hit about 3 hours later; it is considered a separate quake rather than an aftershock) was starting to get a bit freaky. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Landers_earthquake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Landers_earthquake [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Big_Bear_earthquake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Big_Bear_earthquake
- cgriswald 10y ago
  I can't even imagine. My daughter was born the day a 4.0 quake hit Piedmont, CA. I was in the fourth floor of a hospital in SF. The hospital beds were rolling around and I could feel the building moving. Very humbling for a guy from Minnesota who had only experienced minor quakes that didn't do much more than make it feel like a semi-truck was passing by outside. I don't know how I looked, but the mother of my child looked over at me and was like, "that was nothing."
- fibonachos 10y ago
  I was in the shower on the second floor of a house in Orange County during the second quake. That was a wild ride.

BinaryIdiot 10y ago

Holy crap you're not kidding! That's incredibly cool and terrifying at the same time! I wonder how this tower in SF compares and if it did meet seismic code, will the sinking and leaning eventually take it out of code?

PhantomGremlin 10y ago

A building can have a tuned mass damper[1] to help counteract the swaying. You can even turn that into a tourist attraction of sorts.[2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuned_mass_damper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuned_mass_damper [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohKqE_mwMmo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohKqE_mwMmo

wlesieutre 10y ago
Taipei 101 even turned it into a mascot of sorts, the Damper Baby http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-damper-baby-and-tuned-mass-damper-in-taipei-101-it-was-the-worlds-52580647.html http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-damper-baby-and-tuned-mass-... http://josellesoh.deviantart.com/art/damper-baby-292759048 http://josellesoh.deviantart.com/art/damper-baby-292759048

ScottBurson 10y ago

I was asleep on about the 20th floor of a hotel in LA in 1992 when the 7.3 Landers and 6.5 Big Bear earthquakes hit [0]. The building (which I believe was on rollers) was rocking quite noticeably. I wasn't afraid for myself, though by the large, low-frequency motion I could tell it was a very large earthquake whose epicenter was a good distance away. I hoped it hadn't just taken out San Diego. Though I'll admit, to go back to sleep and then be wakened by a second large quake (Big Bear hit about 3 hours later; it is considered a separate quake rather than an aftershock) was starting to get a bit freaky. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Landers_earthquake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Landers_earthquake [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Big_Bear_earthquake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Big_Bear_earthquake

cgriswald 10y ago
I can't even imagine. My daughter was born the day a 4.0 quake hit Piedmont, CA. I was in the fourth floor of a hospital in SF. The hospital beds were rolling around and I could feel the building moving. Very humbling for a guy from Minnesota who had only experienced minor quakes that didn't do much more than make it feel like a semi-truck was passing by outside. I don't know how I looked, but the mother of my child looked over at me and was like, "that was nothing."
fibonachos 10y ago
I was in the shower on the second floor of a house in Orange County during the second quake. That was a wild ride.