By virtue of its low- mass nature, wood is able to withstand earthquake tremors due to its great flexibility and lack of brittleness. It has been proven that the lowest cost of a home resistant to earthquakes in the range of 6-9 Richter scale can be achieved only with the choice of wood as building material, which demonstrates once again the suitability of log-houses for Greece.
Seismic Performance
Wood constructions advantages in severe seismic zones.
A survey was conducted following the tragic earthquake in China, May 2008. The evidence showed that wood frame buildings had outperformed buildings constructed from other materials. They suffered only minor damage, while many brick infill walls collapsed and concrete buildings suffered severe damage.
Tests show multi-story hybrid structures can survive the most severe earthquakes. A full-scale, seven-story mixed use condominium tower (six wood frame stories above a one-story steel structure) was tested in Kobe, Japan. This was the largest full-scale earthquake test in the world. The building was subjected to a quake that was 180% of the Northridge record at Canoga Park. It suffered no significant damage, demonstrating that wood buildings can survive even the strongest earthquakes. There are solutions to reduce the impact from earthquakes. Shock absorbing is the latest technology for earthquake protection of bridges and building constructions. Wooden constructions absorb seismic energy.
