Posted by: SmartPlanet.com
Author: Tuan C. Nguyen
Last week’s rare earthquake left New Yorkers rattled and even a bit scared. So far there hasn’t been any major damage reported from the 5.9 tremor, but it raises an important question:
Can Manhattan’s skyscrapers withstand a major earthquake?
To prevent skyscrapers from swaying and oscillating too much as to lead to structural failure, they’re bolstered with a sturdy central core and supportive bracing that often consists of diagonal steel beams (i.e. the Empire State Building). Some even feature modern modifications such as a tuned mass dampers, a spherical device designed to absorb the vibrations. Read Full Article & View Video Here
VEXTEC blog 