JAPAN: STRUCTURES THAT SURVIVED

The earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan continue to shock us as we are presented with the TV news images along with phone and video images of the event.

One of the images is a video of tall buildings in Tokyo swaying. They did not collapse. It is here. (Look at the gap opening between the buildings as they move.)

Amazing! A miracle? Why? Well, I put it to you: there is a reason and here is one case in point (oops... that's a pun):

In the early days of Iain's civil engineering career his subject area of research was Tall Buildings. We are talking of the 1960s and 1970s.

His work involved looking at this type of building, Ronan Point (London). In 1968 there was a gas explosion which demolished a load bearing wall causing the collapse of one entire corner of the building. The structure had been constructed from prefabricated concrete panels bolted together like a giant meccano set.

Analysis of tall buildings was his subject area and over the years he wrote books on this topic and then wrote on more general topics to do with modern structural analysis.

Here is exactly what we are talking about (written in the late 60s when in Chicago):

This Portland Cement Association book is here.

And he still working on the topic.: these books (hardback above and paperback below) are available from either the publisher here or his own website here.