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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 372 · 40 questions
TalentJR

Engineer's tip (Low, wide, flexible): Safer: wide base, flexible joints, bracing, steel in concrete, light roof, rubber pads, simple shape. Less safe: heavy tops, narrow bases, loose bricks, no steel, brittle joints. Tipping: compare height ÷ base width — the smaller it is, the steadier the block.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a telescope (c) a shake table (d) a fridge
  2. 2.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) building tall and narrow (c) having a wide base (d) leaving out steel bars
  3. 3.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 210 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  4. 4.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  5. 5.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) on a thin pole (b) hanging outside (c) low down (d) on the very top
  6. 6.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) adding cross bracing (d) raising heavy tanks high
  7. 7.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.True or false: adding cross bracing makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  9. 9.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) adding steel to concrete (c) keeping a simple shape (d) raising heavy tanks high
  11. 11.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) adding cross bracing (b) building tall and narrow (c) using a heavy roof (d) making brittle joints
  12. 12.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.🏚️ Does keeping a simple shape make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  14. 14.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🏚️ Does fitting rubber base pads make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  16. 16.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  17. 17.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  18. 18.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a heavy roof (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using a light roof
  20. 20.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  21. 21.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using flexible joints (c) adding cross bracing (d) fitting rubber base pads
  22. 22.True or false: adding steel to concrete makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) using a light roof (c) making brittle joints (d) stacking loose bricks
  24. 24.True or false: stacking loose bricks makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) adding cross bracing (c) using flexible joints (d) keeping a simple shape
  26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) fitting rubber base pads (b) using a heavy roof (c) adding steel to concrete (d) using flexible joints
  27. 27.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  28. 28.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) using a heavy roof (b) building tall and narrow (c) making brittle joints (d) adding cross bracing
  29. 29.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) leaving out steel bars
  30. 30.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  31. 31.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they are cheap (b) they look nice (c) they stop shaking (d) they bend, not break
  32. 32.True or false: using a light roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.True or false: fitting rubber base pads makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 100 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 90 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 180 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower B (b) tower A (c) tower C
  36. 36.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) having a wide base (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) adding steel to concrete (d) stacking loose bricks
  37. 37.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is colourful (c) it is lighter (d) it is harder to tip over
  38. 38.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  39. 39.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) stacking loose bricks (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) making brittle joints
  40. 40.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 40 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 120 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the easiest to tip over? (a) tower A (b) tower C (c) tower B

Answer key

  1. a shake table
  2. having a wide base
  3. tower C
  4. safer in earthquakes
  5. low down
  6. raising heavy tanks high
  7. True
  8. False
  9. False
  10. raising heavy tanks high
  11. adding cross bracing
  12. False
  13. safer in earthquakes
  14. True
  15. safer in earthquakes
  16. safer in earthquakes
  17. less safe
  18. False
  19. using a heavy roof
  20. False
  21. leaving out steel bars
  22. True
  23. using a light roof
  24. True
  25. making brittle joints
  26. using a heavy roof
  27. safer in earthquakes
  28. adding cross bracing
  29. keeping a simple shape
  30. tower A
  31. they bend, not break
  32. False
  33. True
  34. True
  35. tower C
  36. stacking loose bricks
  37. it is harder to tip over
  38. less safe
  39. fitting rubber base pads
  40. tower B

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