EARTHQUAKE PROTECTION

Researchers at the University of Liverpool, UK, have developed an
`invisibility cloak' that protects buildings from earthquakes. The
seismic waves produced by earthquakes include body waves which travel
through the earth, and surface waves which travel across it. The new
technology controls the path of surface waves, which are the most
damaging and responsible for much of the destruction which follows
earthquakes.

The technology involves the use of concentric rings of plastic which
could be fitted to the Earth's surface to divert surface waves. By
controlling the stiffness and elasticity of the rings, waves traveling
through the 'cloak' pass smoothly into the material and are compressed
into small fluctuations in pressure and density. The path of the
surface waves can be made into an arc that directs the waves outside
the protective cloak. The technique could be applied to buildings by
installing the rings into foundations.

Sebastien Guenneau, from the University's Department of Mathematics,
helped develop the technology. "This work has enormous potential in
offering protection for densely populated areas of the world at risk
from earthquakes. The challenge now is to turn our theories into real
applications that can save lives - small-scale experiments are
underway," said Guenneau.

Read more here: http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20090723A2