WHEN people die in earthquakes, they are often killed by their own houses collapsing on top of them. That could change if a new construction material similar to styrofoam is used instead of more traditional bricks and mortar.
In tests on 19 January, a two-storey house built from panels of expanded polystyrene sandwiched between cement boards survived a simulated earthquake of magnitude 10, stronger than the world has ever experienced. The quakes that struck Turkey and Iran in 2003 both measured less than magnitude 7, but thousands died when large numbers of brick buildings collapsed.
The foam technology could help prevent such devastating loss of life, says Rachel Jagoda from the Federation of American Scientists in Washington DC, which organised the trial. The material stands up to violent shaking because the foam is lightweight, while the cement coating makes it rigid - features that help a house to stand when ...
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