Steel-rubber bearings make buildings quake-proof

Buildings at an elementary school in the city of Weinan, Shaanxi Province have been fitted with new base isolation systems to make them quake-resistant, reports China Central Television. 

A screenshot from a China Central Television program showing the place where the steel-rubber bearings are installed. [Photo: CCTV]

Thirty separate bearings have been placed at 6 meter intervals between the buildings and their foundations. The bearings are made up of 35 steel and rubber plates, making them both strong and flexible. 

A screenshot from a China Central Television program showing steel-rubber bearings being manufactured at a factory in Shaanxi Province. [Photo: CCTV]

The system is designed to dissipate up to 80 percent of an earthquake's energy. 

China's Aerospace Science Technology Corporation has developed the quake-proofing system, and intends to install it among public facilities in Yunnan, Gansu and Xinjiang. 

Other creations by the corporation include rockets that release chemicals into the air which it claims helps make rainfall, as well as a positioning device that is based on the Beidou Navigation System to help locate hikers that go missing.