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Earthquake engineering - Quiz
Contributed by: Miller
  • 1. What does earthquake performance define regarding a structure?
A) The total monetary cost of building repairs.
B) The aesthetic design requirements of the building.
C) The maximum height a building can reach.
D) Its ability to sustain its main functions during and after an earthquake.
  • 2. When is a structure considered safe after an earthquake?
A) If it remains completely free of any cracks.
B) If the surrounding landscape is undisturbed.
C) If it does not endanger lives by collapsing.
D) If the building remains exactly in its original position.
  • 3. What is the definition of a serviceable structure?
A) It is located in an area with low seismic activity.
B) It can fulfill the operational functions for which it was designed.
C) It is built with flexible materials.
D) It can be sold for a profit after a seismic event.
  • 4. What do major building codes assume about a building's survival during a rare, very severe earthquake?
A) It should suffer no damage at all.
B) It should automatically trigger emergency alarms.
C) It should survive without globally collapsing.
D) It should be able to withstand the earthquake without any repairs needed.
  • 5. How should a building perform during more frequent, less severe seismic events?
A) It should rely on external support structures.
B) It should experience significant structural damage.
C) It should remain operational.
D) It should be demolished immediately.
  • 6. What do engineers need to know regarding seismic performance assessment?
A) The exact date of the next predicted earthquake.
B) The historical cost of the building materials.
C) The quantified level of actual or anticipated performance.
D) The color scheme of the interior design.
  • 7. What are the two primary ways to perform a seismic performance assessment?
A) Experimentally or analytically.
B) Visually or via demolition.
C) Manually or via intuition.
D) Socially or economically.
  • 8. How is an experimental seismic evaluation typically conducted?
A) By simulating the earthquake on a computer.
B) By building a wall and watching it fall.
C) By placing a model on a shake-table.
D) By interviewing structural engineers.
  • 9. Why are experimental tests typically expensive?
A) Because they require a large number of human participants.
B) Because they involve high-speed internet usage.
C) Because they must be repeated every year.
D) Because they involve shake-table simulations.
  • 10. When were experimental seismic tests first performed?
A) Within the last decade.
B) More than a century ago.
C) In the early 2000s.
D) During the 1990s.
  • 11. What has only recently become possible regarding experimental seismic testing?
A) Eliminating the need for structural models.
B) 1:1 scale testing on full structures.
C) Performing tests without any equipment.
D) Predicting the exact magnitude of future earthquakes.
  • 12. What is a primary purpose of experimental seismic testing?
A) To replace computational models entirely.
B) To reduce the cost of building materials.
C) To minimize the number of engineers on site.
D) Validating models and verifying analysis methods.
  • 13. What tools carry the major burden for seismic performance assessment once validated?
A) Field surveys of older buildings.
B) Computational models and numerical procedures.
C) Manual paper calculations.
D) Physical shake-tables.
  • 14. Does a properly engineered structure have to be extremely strong or expensive?
A) Only for residential buildings.
B) Only for bridges and highways.
C) Yes, it must be the strongest possible construction.
D) No.
  • 15. What has led to the expansion of the scope of earthquake engineering?
A) Government mandates to reduce the number of engineers.
B) The discovery of new building materials like plastic.
C) A decrease in interest from structural engineers.
D) Tremendous costs experienced in recent earthquakes.
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