Robust, or Risky? What Makes an Earthquake-Resistant Building
One of the safest places to be during an earthquake is inside a
well-made wood-framed home. Metal connectors join the floors and
walls in newer houses; older ones have often been professionally
retrofitted, or bolted. This creates what's called a continuous
load path, in which the frame of the house moves as a single
unit during tremors. Hardware should also connect the foundation
and mudsill to wall studs, work that can be easily seen from the
basement.