The National Science Foundation is all set to test out a giant earthquake on a five storey building. It has been specifically designed as a fully equipped edifice for the shake table test that plans to perform the testing with all the inner workings of a real building. It will examine the effects of a major earthquake on a building that is fully operational and with replication of inner wiring, hospital beds, modern home interiors and an elevator; the simulation is designed to exactly mimic a real life situation.
The test will be a part of its attempt to examine the safest ways to design buildings and how to combat the aftermaths of a major quake like fire and disrupted gas lines, among many others. The testing will take place on the specifically designed sake table at Englekirk Structural Engineering Center at the University of California and it will be a great opportunity for disaster management groups to understand the effects of a major quake and plan their emergency response accordingly.
With growing concerns over the way the earth’s climate is changing and how it could eventually lead to a disaster that will be a lot more devastating than the ones in the past, it seems appropriate that we plan for future disasters and map out the appropriate way to handle them. Tests like these could eventually help us save millions of lives when nature unleashes her fury.
Via: Nsf
