All of this is also partly dependent on the region's availability of timber vs. other materials and if they are near fault lines. The eastern half of the USA,

All of this is also partly dependent on the region's availability of timber vs. other materials and if they are near fault lines. The eastern half of the USA, including Chicago, is no where near a fault line, so prioritizing less earthquake friendly materials that have other benefits is more practical. The same applies to most of Germany and there isn't any natural forest left to harvest timber from. West coast USA is an earthquake zone and has a large timber industry in the pacific north west. Not using timber or something else that is flexible is a relative hazard! Fault line map: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?layers=37a384d4c1ef4f56a33a40f291a634e9 https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?layers=37a3...