When an earthquake causes the bottom to shake, older, weaker buildings crumble and collapse. Base isolation is one approach to preventing buildings for collapsing. Base isolation involves installing a system of pads, springs and ball bearings in a building’s foundation. When an earthquake hits, the building shakes and sways less than a building resting directly at the ground. By being more mobile than other buildings, a base-isolated building actually resists the consequences of the quake.

Buildings constructed too practically each other are highly susceptible to damage from earthquakes. Some earthquake-safe buildings employ “moats” or “buffer zones,” areas of empty space round the walls. If the building sways or tilts during an earthquake, the moat will prevent it from colliding with its neighbours and extending the prospective damage. In densely-populated urban environments, however, making a protective buffer zone around a potentially vulnerable building isn’t always possible.