Abstract:
An earthquake is a natural phenomenon that causes extreme destruction and death.
Earthquakes are caused by sudden releases of energy from the earth's interior that cause the
earth's crust to shake. A tectonic plate slips past another during this event. A natural disaster
such as an earthquake may be rarer than other types, but it can create more devastation and
death than any other natural hazard, making it one of the most destructive on the planet. In
Newbury, UK, the International Serological Centre (ISC) and the World Data Centre A in
Boulder, Colorado, USA, hold comprehensive lists of seismic events. As part of the efforts to
improve earthquake predictability, much research has also been conducted on earthquakeprone areas worldwide. To counteract this destruction, humankind has been evolving and
dealing with different methods to reduce the number of lives lost. The objective was to
simulate on Abaqus a 4x4 wall of bricks made from polyurethane joined by epoxy to test on
what magnitude does wall break. The wall was tested and almost sustained 7.1 magnitude.
There were cracks in the wall but the bricks did not break instead the bonding agent gave up
and the wall fractured.
