Engineering
Shape Memory Alloy Braces for Seismic Energy Dissipation
Quick fact
When an earthquake strikes, SMA braces can repeatedly dissipate large amounts of seismic energy while automatically returning the building to its original position, eliminating the permanent tilting (residual drift) that often forces buildings to be demolished after a quake.
Why this is interesting
Imagine a building brace that can bend out of shape during an earthquake, then spring back perfectly to its original position, as if nothing happened. How is this possible?