How Vibrations Die Out
During an earthquake, the shaking ground can make buildings
vibrate. The vibrations die out because of damping
which removes energy from the moving building.
The damping can be caused by
- Friction as different parts of the building
move against each other.
- Internal friction in the materials making
up the structural members and other parts
of the building.
- Damage in the building, for example, cracking in concrete
or brickwork or permanent distortions in steel.
Engineers can design buildings to have extra damping, by
adding dampers to the structural frame. The
dampers absorb energy from a vibrating building, so that its
movement is not as violent.
Find out about Adding Dampers.
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