Simulation of a Seattle highway collapsing in an earthquake
Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:14 am
The Alaskan Way Viaduct runs along the seafront in Seattle. It was built in the 50s, it's really beyond its service life, and was damaged in an earthquake in 2001. It really, really, really needs to get replaced, because it now presents a very real danger during any further earthquakes. But they just can't get agreement on how to replace it (just remove it? new viaduct? tunnel?) or who should pay. In the meantime, the department of transport keep reminding people of just how urgent the problem is by producing simulations of what would happen in another earthquake. This latest one is just beautiful - the simulated disaster is a tragedy, of course, but it must have been really quite fun to put this together:
Worth watching this in full screen to read the text. Look out for how they print "seawall collapses" to give it some dramatic emphasis.
Worth watching this in full screen to read the text. Look out for how they print "seawall collapses" to give it some dramatic emphasis.