Get Why Pagodas Don't Fall Down

Because of the typhoons that batter Japan in the summer, Japanese builders learned to extend the eaves of buildings further beyond the walls. This prevents rainwater gushing down the walls. Pagodas in China and Korea have nothing like the overhang that is found on pagodas in Japan.

Scattered over Japan are 500 pagodas that rise vertically to heights of as much as 180 feet. Those pagodas have been rattled by countless earthquakes, and they still stand, serene and unruffled. Stability of Pagodas | The Engines of Our Ingenuity The Engines of Our Ingenuity https://engines.egr.uh.edu › episode The Engines of Our Ingenuity https://engines.egr.uh.edu › episode

Pagodas were originally built to help preserve and protect Buddhist relics and artifacts, and were/are viewed as representative of the Buddha. They are very important in both cultural and spiritual realms in various countries.

Pagodas are present not only in Japan but throughout Asia (mostly China) and in other countries. They are tiered structures with five levels of roofs, each symbolizing a different element of the world as listed in the Buddhist religion.

Flexibility is essential during the shaking associated with an earthquake, and often, the taller the building, the more flexible it is. In fact, engineers must design shorter buildings in earthquake-prone areas to withstand even greater forces than those of a taller building. How Earthquake-Proof Buildings Are Designed in 2024 - BigRentz bigrentz.com https://.bigrentz.com › blog › earthquake-proof-bui... bigrentz.com https://.bigrentz.com › blog › earthquake-proof-bui...

of such loading a great deal of plastic deformation occurs but the timbers will not break. Therefore, the composite wooden block on each column may absorb a large amount of vibration energy in the structure so that the pagodas are considered as a highly earthquake-resistant structure.

Shock absorbers for buildings This means that when an earthquake starts, the resulting movement will not impose stress on the structure of the building. This system is used in Japan, where buildings are erected on shock absorbers – such as thick blocks of rubber – to help them stay stable during tremors. For more earthquake resistant buildings, learn from Chile and Japan weforum.org https://.weforum.org › agenda › 2023/03 › how-to-... weforum.org https://.weforum.org › agenda › 2023/03 › how-to-...