(The seismic isolation bearing under test   Photo/Thepaper.cn)

Seismic isolation based on space technology being developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) can effectively protect people’s life and property by eliminating 80 percent of the seismic energy, Science and Technology Daily reported on Sept. 22.

The traditional method is to tightly connect the building to its foundation, while the earthquake energy, transmitted to the superstructure, usually leads to vibration and deformation, You Junfeng, the chief expert researching solid rocket engines at CASC, introduced.

(Photo/Thepaper.cn)

The expert explained, however, that the bearing can firmly hold the building in place and effectively eliminate the deformation that is caused by the building moving back and forth with the transverse wave motion of the earthquake. This means the building can still be used afterward.

The technique is to install a seismic isolation bearing that is highly deformable between the superstructure of the building and its foundation, without altering its architectural design.

The product has passed the inspection of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and has reached an advanced level in China. And the technique has won international recognition for its ability to isolate vibrations and because of its relatively low cost.

Statistics show that the utilization rate of the technique has reached 10 percent in the United States and Italy and over 50 percent in Japan.