5 ms·
One- and two-story wood structures do very well in earthquakes (a consideration for some of us, anyway). It has good tensile strength, it is not brittle, and i
by ScottBurson 12y ago
One- and two-story wood structures do very well in earthquakes (a consideration for some of us, anyway). It has good tensile strength, it is not brittle, and it is not very heavy.
Unreinforced masonry, by contrast, is a terrible choice for an earthquake zone. It's heavy, brittle, and has approximately zero tensile strength.
- sangnoir 12y agoThanks! You are right falling/flying bricks are not a good idea in an earthquake or hurricane situation. After digging some more, it seems like cost is another factor. I suspect our backgrounds subconsciously color our opinions though: my childhood home (and 99% of homes I have ever visited) were brick and mortar, maybe that is why I am partial to it.
- Turing_Machine 12y agoRammed earth (common in many areas of the world) is even worse. A rammed earth building becomes a pre-dug grave when there's an earthquake.