UBC researchers develop new shock absorption system for highrises to withstand big earthquakes

CBC News

· Posted: May 18, 2025 11:21 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

A squad of researchers at University of British Columbia have developed a caller plan for highrises that could assistance gangly buildings withstand large earthquakes, portion keeping people safe inside.

Led by structural engineering prof Tony Yang astatine UBC's module of applied science, the task aims to hole cities similar Vancouver for the "big one."

"We are expected to person precise ample earthquakes," Yang said. 

Traditional highrise designs trust connected a rigid factual core, which typically spot elevators and stairwells wrong the cardinal core. But the caller system, the researcher says, allows buildings to determination and sorb vigor done dampers, outriggers and rocking foundations, alternatively than defy the shaking rigidly.

"These are similar the daze absorbers successful your car," helium said.

"The plan doctrine for the accepted strategy is to support the radical who unrecorded inside, but not the presumption of the gathering afterwards," helium added.

"[With the caller system] the proprietor tin consciousness assured that the building, its occupants and its contents are protected during and aft important shaking."

Earthquake simulations

The strategy was tested astatine the International Joint Research Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering successful Shanghai, China, a facility with a ample capable "shake table" to simulate a full-scale, magnitude-9 earthquake. 

Researchers accidental UBC's one-fifth standard exemplary remained afloat functional aft much than 100 simulated quakes.

According to Yang, the strategy allows for lighter operation and much usable abstraction wrong the building, making it some much resilient and cost-effective. 

"In accepted construction, [builders] enactment a batch of reinforcement wrong cardinal concrete, putting wealth and labour into it," helium said, explaining that the caller plan doctrine puts little accent connected the factual halfway and foundation. 

He says it whitethorn connection semipermanent savings by reducing the request for ample foundations oregon post-quake repairs, making the caller plan "much cheaper" to use.

According to a study released by the City of Vancouver past November, modelling suggests a magnitude 7.2 earthquake would origin important harm to galore aging, privately owned buildings — the bulk of which are rental properties.

While the caller strategy is aimed astatine caller construction, Yang said it could besides beryllium incorporated into immoderate older buildings — though the process would beryllium much complex.

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City of Vancouver Coun. Lisa Dominato said the metropolis is funny successful learning much astir the probe and its imaginable applications.

"We expect much density and improvement successful the future," Dominato said. "If we tin payment from that technology, and the probe is happening astatine UBC, I deliberation it's a bully happening for the city."

Looking ahead, Yang says helium hopes to enactment with engineering firms and section governments to research integrating the plan into caller gathering projects.