Question

Which of the following should be avoided while designing a home in earthquake prone area?
1. Use of attached cup boards
2. Use of heavy construction materials
3. Fire extinguishers
4. All the above

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Use of heavy construction materials

Explanation:

• It is almost impossible to predict the earthquake, though the earthquake-prone areas can be predicted.
• Such areas have frequent tremours of low magnitude and much less frequent earthquakes.  
• The use of heavy construction materials is not recommended for such areas. 
• The heavy structure when fall, will cause much damage to life and property. 
• It is better to use mud or timber with light roofs as a design criterion for making houses in earthquake-prone areas. 
• Use of attached cupboards (attached with the wall) are good to use as they will not fall with small tremors of the earthquake. 
• Some buildings may catch fire due to the fall of electric poles or other reasons, thus the use of Fire extinguishers would be helpful.

So, the correct option is 'Use of heavy construction materials.'

• An earthquake in simple words is the shaking of the earth.
• It is caused due to the release of energy, which generates waves that travel in all directions.
• The vibrations called seismic waves are generated from earthquakes that travel through the Earth and are recorded on instruments called seismographs.
• The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicentre.