New technology allows rapid assessment of a building’s state of health after being shaken in an earthquake. The probable degree of damage suffered by the structure can be quickly inferred from motions recorded by an array of sensors distributed at key locations throughout a building. This ability allows a building manager or designated consultant to make a preliminary assessment of whether the safety of the building has been seriously compromised.
A new monitoring system configured by the U.S. Geological Survey, which features instantaneous acquisition of data and automated computation of deformation in a building during an earthquake, has been installed in a 23-story building in San Francisco. With this 30-sensor system, a safety officer in the building or an engineer elsewhere with a communications link will be able to assess the performance and safety of the structure immediately after shaking stops. Such advanced monitoring systems can help to reduce the impact of earthquakes by hastening emergency response actions.

[building schematic shows distribution of sensors (arrows show locations of the 30 sensors and directions of measurement]