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Engineering Worksheet: Earthquake-Safe Buildings

Engineering lesson 21: Earthquake-safe buildings · Set 886 · 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.🏚️ Why are flexible joints good in an earthquake? (a) they stop shaking (b) they are cheap (c) they look nice (d) they bend, not break
  2. 2.🏚️ Where should heavy water tanks go in a quake zone? (a) low down (b) on the very top (c) hanging outside (d) on a thin pole
  3. 3.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 10 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  4. 4.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) keeping a simple shape (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) using flexible joints (d) adding steel to concrete
  5. 5.🏚️ Does making brittle joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  6. 6.🏚️ Does stacking loose bricks make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  7. 7.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 120 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 40 cm tall on a 10 cm base and tower C is 60 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  8. 8.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) building tall and narrow (c) using flexible joints (d) adding cross bracing
  9. 9.True or false: using a heavy roof makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  10. 10.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) using a light roof (c) using a heavy roof (d) building tall and narrow
  11. 11.🏚️ Why is a wide base safer? (a) it is taller (b) it is harder to tip over (c) it is colourful (d) it is lighter
  12. 12.True or false: using a light roof makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making brittle joints (b) stacking loose bricks (c) adding cross bracing (d) raising heavy tanks high
  14. 14.True or false: keeping a simple shape makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) stacking loose bricks (b) making brittle joints (c) using a heavy roof (d) fitting rubber base pads
  16. 16.🏚️ Does adding cross bracing make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  17. 17.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) adding steel to concrete (c) fitting rubber base pads (d) using flexible joints
  18. 18.🏚️ Does using a light roof make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  19. 19.🏚️ Does leaving out steel bars make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  20. 20.True or false: using flexible joints makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.🏚️ Does using flexible joints make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  22. 22.🏚️ Does building tall and narrow make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) less safe (b) safer in earthquakes
  23. 23.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using a heavy roof (c) building tall and narrow (d) stacking loose bricks
  24. 24.True or false: leaving out steel bars makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  25. 25.True or false: making brittle joints makes a building less safe in earthquakes. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.🏚️ What do engineers use to test models of buildings for earthquakes? (a) a microscope (b) a fridge (c) a telescope (d) a shake table
  27. 27.🏚️ 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 40 cm tall on a 40 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 B (c) tower C
  28. 28.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) building tall and narrow (b) leaving out steel bars (c) adding steel to concrete (d) making brittle joints
  29. 29.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using a heavy roof (b) fitting rubber base pads (c) having a wide base (d) adding cross bracing
  30. 30.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm wide base, tower B is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) using flexible joints (b) using a light roof (c) having a wide base (d) stacking loose bricks
  32. 32.True or false: having a wide base makes a building safer in earthquakes. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) adding steel to concrete (b) using flexible joints (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) fitting rubber base pads
  34. 34.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) leaving out steel bars (b) raising heavy tanks high (c) adding cross bracing (d) building tall and narrow
  35. 35.🏚️ Does raising heavy tanks high make a building safer or less safe in an earthquake? (a) safer in earthquakes (b) less safe
  36. 36.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 160 cm tall on a 40 cm wide base, tower B is 200 cm tall on a 40 cm base and tower C is 280 cm tall on a 40 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower A (c) tower B
  37. 37.Which of these makes a building safer in earthquakes? (a) making brittle joints (b) building tall and narrow (c) raising heavy tanks high (d) keeping a simple shape
  38. 38.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) raising heavy tanks high (b) building tall and narrow (c) leaving out steel bars (d) using a light roof
  39. 39.🏚️ Three solid model towers are made of the same material. Tower A is 80 cm tall on a 20 cm wide base, tower B is 140 cm tall on a 20 cm base and tower C is 150 cm tall on a 30 cm base. Which is the hardest to tip over? (a) tower C (b) tower B (c) tower A
  40. 40.Which of these makes a building less safe in earthquakes? (a) using a light roof (b) having a wide base (c) using a heavy roof (d) using flexible joints

Answer key

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

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