Seismic Metamaterials Could Cloak Dams and Power Stations - Technology Review - 2 views
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santecarloni on 17 Feb 12Metamaterials that absorb seismic waves rather than steer them, might be a better way to protect some buildings, say engineers
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LeopoldS on 21 Feb 12what are seismic metamaterials?
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LeopoldS on 21 Feb 12must look funny ... They calculate the properties of such a metatmaterial and how it might be constructed with a basic repeating unit in the form of a concrete cylinder some 18 metres in diameter, with four perpendicular holes in its sides (see picture). These cylinders, perhaps varying in size to absorb a range of seismic wavelengths, would need to surround the foundations of a building in cylindrical shells some 60 metres across. That needn't be prohibitively expensive but it would be a big structure that could only be constructed around isolated buildings (thereby somewhat negating the supposed benefit that other buildings in the earthquake 'shadow' might also be protected).