EGBC Innovation Jan-Feb 2023

F E A T U R E

New concrete materials and design could re-shape the construction industry. P hoto : L ucas I nacio / A dobe S tock

around for decades and decades for smaller buildings, where you can place your entire building on rubber or Teflon-sliding bearings. When an earthquake hits, it actually decouples the building and can result in minimal damage. It’s used in New Zealand, in the U.S. and in Japan, but we have few examples of it being used in Canada.” For larger, mid- and high-rise buildings, Tobber is aiming for that same goal of almost zero damage. “Right now, in B.C., we design tall buildings to absorb earthquake energy through damage,” she said, which means the people inside will be able to escape the structures in a disaster, but that’s all. In many cases, residents and businesses may never be able to return to their buildings which, in a city full of

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