Preparing for Earthquake: San Francisco

Abstract

All of the inhabitants of San Francisco reminds with great certainity of the devastating earthquakes occured in 1906 and 1989. On the other hand they know the fact that the North Californian metropolis is claimed to be a „timed bomb” by the researchers. The reason for this is the millions of years old subduction zone situated directly under the city of San Francisco which the San Andreas Fault was formed along. Due to the released energy from the tectonic processes triggered along the fracture, San Francisco and its surroundings are identified as one of the most seismically active and earthquakeendangered areas on Earth. However, the city, based on the experiences of previous incidents prepares for the next strike sacraficing enormous amounts of reosurces and money in order to minimize the prospective damaging effects of the quakes. This study introduces these buildings’ special and highly developed technologies and structures. Furthermore it concludes how effectively these structures could resist to forthcoming earthquakes predicted by geologists before long.