Earthquake Survival With Types of Buildings

Wood Buildings

• Old wood buildingJupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Wooden buildings are the safest in an earthquake because wood is very flexible, allowing it to absorb more force than other materials. Also, wood is much lighter in weight than brick construction or concrete slabs that are used in many buildings. Unlike brick buildings, which can cause a debris shower in an earthquake, wooden structures are less likely to cause shrapnel injuries. Wood may also allow for more open space after an earthquake, which could be life saving for those trapped in a building. By comparison, buildings made from concrete slabs fall hard with crushing force, and brick structures can create massive piles of debris in an earthquake.
  
  

Concrete Slab Building

• Concrete buildingJupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Buildings constructed from concrete slabs are considered the most dangerous in an earthquake and pose an even greater threat than brick buildings, according to Doug Copp, Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International. Concrete slabs are likely to fall on those in the building with crushing force. Brick buildings will likely cause more injuries, due to flying bricks, but fewer deaths than the concrete slab structures.
  
  

Brick Building

• Brick buildingJupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Brick buildings are safer than concrete slab construction but less safe that wooden buildings. Brick buildings are likely to fall in a massive shower of flying debris in the event of an earthquake. The flying bricks can cause massive injuries to many people inside the building and may cause deaths.
  
  

Earthquake Survival Tips

• There are some basic safety tips that may save your life if you are ever inside a building when an earthquake strikes.
  
  Do not crawl under an object or stand next to a doorway. Doing so could prove fatal if the table or doorway collapses onto your body.
  
  You should immediately get in the fetal position next to a chair or sofa, which may provide a life saving void or space in an earthquake.
  
  If possible run to the building's outer wall, which will likely put you closer to an exit, which is where you want to be in an earthquake.
  
  Do not go for the stairs because the stairs swing at their own speed in an earthquake and can present super-dangerous conditions.