Living in California I am always intrigued when a ‘earthquake proof’ building idea comes up. Japan’s Hyogo Earthquake Engineering Research just simulated a 7.5 on the Richter scale earthquake with this 7 story building made from wood.
The article does not say whether or not they used reclaimed or FSC certified wood. But the reality, if building in wood can save billions of trees and money!
I went to USGS – Earthquake Hazard Program to find out how many earthquakes in the world- 182 in the last week. We even had one today in Southern California and didn’t even feel it!
I just Gotta Tell Ya
- The cost of the Jan 17th 1995 earthquake (Los Angeles) totalled $7 Billion Taxpayer Dollars
- Property losses from the disaster (San Francisco 1989) have been estimated to be more than $400 million.[19] An insurance industry source tallies insured losses at $235 million (equivalent to $5.62 billion in 2007 dollars[20]).
- The Chinese government faces a repair bill of almost $150bn (£76bn) from the Sichuan earthquake, equivalent to a fifth of its entire tax revenues for a single year, the state media reported yesterday. Providing new houses for 3.9 million refugees, replacing schools and creating jobs for 1 million people are among the measures in an ambitious plan to rebuild the region devastated by the magnitude 8 quake, which struck on May 12.