Earthquake fault under the Salt Lake Temple

[_Wheat]

nevermind

[_gramps]

I was told just three years ago by a guide at Temple Square that Brigham knew all about that and that the temple was built to withstand any earthquake.

So, no need to worry!

I was told once that under each of the four corners of the SL temple there was placed a huge hewn-granite ball that the building was supposed to be able to shift on to protect it in an earthquake. Don't know if it's true or if such a thing would actually work, but that's what I heard. Any structural engineers here?

The question is whether we can get a hold of the plans showing this amazing feat!

Any good artists here?

[_Mad Viking]

Seismic isolation is a building technique that is very common in new buildings in seismically active areas. It essentially allows the ground to shift under the building without moving the building.

Bearings are placed at the foundation to allow the ground to move forward or backward and laterally without moving the building sitting on top. Well, the building does move, but to a far lesser extent than it would if there were completely unjointed connections (ie solid concrete walls or pillars)

Here are some quick images from google image search on 'seismic isolation'. It's kind of interesting what is below us in some buildings and yet we don't have a clue! I understand that the temple and tabernacle's renovation programs several years ago involved redoing the foundations. I imagine they placed rollers or bearings or something to make the building more stable during earthquakes.





You can also notice roller bearings on the supports and abutments of overpasses, if you want to see how the rollers/bearings under the buildings would work. They allow the bridge to contract as it freezes and thaws.

The Salt Lake City and County building was seismically isolated a few decades back, but I don't know about the temple.

[_moksha]

The majority of the Salt Lake Valley is vulnerable to liquefaction if the quake is strong enough.

So are you suggesting that since the Temple, the COB, the Conference Center, the Joseph Smith Memorial Bldg and all the churches are built on top of sand deposits rather than bedrock, that seismic stabilization will not make a difference for a really big one? Are you saying this as a penguin or a man?