Earthquake engineering

Earthquake engineering - Quiz

1. What does earthquake performance define regarding a structure?

A) Its ability to sustain its main functions during and after an earthquake.
B) The maximum height a building can reach.
C) The aesthetic design requirements of the building.
D) The total monetary cost of building repairs.

2. When is a structure considered safe after an earthquake?

A) If it does not endanger lives by collapsing.
B) If the building remains exactly in its original position.
C) If the surrounding landscape is undisturbed.
D) If it remains completely free of any cracks.

3. What is the definition of a serviceable structure?

A) It can fulfill the operational functions for which it was designed.
B) It is built with flexible materials.
C) It is located in an area with low seismic activity.
D) It can be sold for a profit after a seismic event.

4. What do major building codes assume about a building's survival during a rare, very severe earthquake?

A) It should survive without globally collapsing.
B) It should suffer no damage at all.
C) It should automatically trigger emergency alarms.
D) It should be able to withstand the earthquake without any repairs needed.

5. How should a building perform during more frequent, less severe seismic events?

A) It should rely on external support structures.
B) It should remain operational.
C) It should experience significant structural damage.
D) It should be demolished immediately.

6. What do engineers need to know regarding seismic performance assessment?

A) The color scheme of the interior design.
B) The exact date of the next predicted earthquake.
C) The historical cost of the building materials.
D) The quantified level of actual or anticipated performance.

7. What are the two primary ways to perform a seismic performance assessment?

A) Manually or via intuition.
B) Socially or economically.
C) Experimentally or analytically.
D) Visually or via demolition.

8. How is an experimental seismic evaluation typically conducted?

A) By simulating the earthquake on a computer.
B) By interviewing structural engineers.
C) By building a wall and watching it fall.
D) By placing a model on a shake-table.

9. Why are experimental tests typically expensive?

A) Because they involve shake-table simulations.
B) Because they require a large number of human participants.
C) Because they must be repeated every year.
D) Because they involve high-speed internet usage.

10. When were experimental seismic tests first performed?

A) Within the last decade.
B) In the early 2000s.
C) More than a century ago.
D) During the 1990s.

11. What has only recently become possible regarding experimental seismic testing?

A) Predicting the exact magnitude of future earthquakes.
B) Performing tests without any equipment.
C) 1:1 scale testing on full structures.
D) Eliminating the need for structural models.

12. What is a primary purpose of experimental seismic testing?

A) To replace computational models entirely.
B) Validating models and verifying analysis methods.
C) To minimize the number of engineers on site.
D) To reduce the cost of building materials.

13. What tools carry the major burden for seismic performance assessment once validated?

A) Manual paper calculations.
B) Computational models and numerical procedures.
C) Field surveys of older buildings.
D) Physical shake-tables.

14. Does a properly engineered structure have to be extremely strong or expensive?

A) Yes, it must be the strongest possible construction.
B) Only for residential buildings.
C) No.
D) Only for bridges and highways.

15. What has led to the expansion of the scope of earthquake engineering?

A) A decrease in interest from structural engineers.
B) The discovery of new building materials like plastic.
C) Government mandates to reduce the number of engineers.
D) Tremendous costs experienced in recent earthquakes.

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