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SPEECH
Prepare a brief exposure about the subject you were given. (Min: 2 min. Max: 3 min)

Future
Notes. Write about:
1. Lifestyle changes.
2. Ground-breaking Inventions.
3. Future outcomes of technology development.

Technologies being tested

Seismic Engineering Future

Slide 01: Presentation (15 s)
Good afternoon teacher and classmates. Its great to see you all. The last time I talked about an
astonishing rock band, but today, as someone who is about to graduate as an engineer, I am here to
provide you some interesting information, which surely is going to be very beneficial for everyone.
Slide 02: Earthquakes Impact (30 s)
On August 15, 2007, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated Pisco. It is expected that an even more
powerful earthquake hits Lima. The images of destruction from the last disasters have been shocking.
Buildings were smashed like children's toys. Bridges collapsed, and highway overpasses buckled.
In Pisco, an estimated 500 people died as a result. Infrastructure was damaged and there was loss of
life so, the question is: How can similar large losses of life be prevented in future earthquakes?
Slide 03: Source and Buildings Response (40 s)
Earths stored energy needs to be released and it does in the form of seismic waves. Although the
motions of an earthquake are frightening, they alone cause very little loss of life. "Earthquakes don't
kill people; buildings do." And for everyday purposes, they are made to withstand the force of gravity
and the forces of their own structural design, but the forces produced by earthquakes, side-to-side
and rolling motions, are completely different. Unless a building is made to be flexible enough to bend
with those forces or sturdy enough to withstand them, it will collapse, killing or trapping those within.
The goal of structural engineering is to preserve life. That means a building that doesn't collapse and
allows its occupants to escape is considered a success even if it ends up being demolished.

Johann Jhanpiere Crdenas Huamn

Civil Engineering Student at UNMSM

Pueblo Libre, May 25th, 2016.

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Ao de la Consolidacin del Mar de Grau

Decenio de las Personas con Discapacidad en el Per

Slide 04: Seismic Base Isolators. How does it work? (30 s)

Most buildings today are built directly on the ground, which fixes the base to the earth. As a
consequence, when the ground moves the building also moves, causing them to sway back and forth
together. A base isolator "detaches" the base from the ground so that the building does not notice
the earth moving beneath it. Such an engineering breakthrough will have been perfected in few years.
The advantage that base isolation has over most of the others seismic technologies is that, the
earthquake's energy is absorbed in the isolators instead of throughout the building. This means that,
during an earthquake, you would feel less shaking than you would if you were standing in a building
with a different system.
Slide 05: Dampers. How does it work? (15 s)
Another method for controlling seismic damage in buildings is the installation of seismic dampers. In
this case, the dampening is provided by a mechanic device that looks very similar to a car shock
absorber. The principle implies kinetic energy being converted into heat energy, thereby preventing the
building absorbing the kinetic energy.
Slide 06: Seismic Dampers. Has it been implemented? (15 s)
Dampers are mainly used to control vibration with the help of resistance and are more effective than
any other system when it comes to tall buildings and skyscrapers. The greater part of the construction
work will be using it in less than a decade.
Unfortunately, these techniques are still expensive and the average family cannot afford to build a
fully earthquake-resistant house.

Slide 07: Perspectives and Farewell (20 s)

From my perspective, university students must do research in order to meet the current needs of
industry. What if a building could experience deformation during a quake, and then return to its original
shape? Or what about developing a seismic invisibility cloak? which makes a building transparent to
the surface waves produced by an earthquake.
Interestingly, much of the future of seismic engineering involves looking back, not forward. Thats all.
I hope not to have bored you. Thank you so much for your attention.
Time= 3:00 minutes

Johann Jhanpiere Crdenas Huamn

Civil Engineering Student at UNMSM

Pueblo Libre, May 25th, 2016.

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