Metamaterials could mitigate earthquake effects

This is the conclusion of a European study published in the New Journal of Physics that proposes the use of metamaterials in regions threatened by earthquakes.

The metamaterials in question are artificial structures that exhibit extraordinary vibrational properties and the study, carried out by a team using detailed computer simulations, shows that large-scale metamaterials can attenuate the energy and amplitude of the low-frequency vibrations that earthquakes deliver.

Many large, modern structures including bridges and office blocks are protected against earthquakes through vibration isolation strategies that can be difficult to implement retrospectively, especially in historical buildings, and only apply locally.

Shielding vulnerable structures using large-scale metamaterials - which inhibit the propagation of incoming seismic waves through interference effects - could help to protect a much wider area without any direct modification to existing buildings in the region.

One of the simplest and most effective seismic shields proposed by the team involves digging 2-3 rows of equally spaced cross-shaped cavities in the ground.