International ShakeOut Day is nearing and you know what that means!
Well, maybe not.
So here's what that means; the University of British Columbia's Earthquake Engineering Research Facility is opening up to the public for a couple of hours this week.
For anyone who grew up having to do earthquake drills, or watching buildings get retrofitted, or literally felt the ground shake while in the library in high school (what, was that not common?) this will be a chance to see how researchers get a handle on the issues around earthquakes.
The public will be able to visit the lab and meet one of the world's leading seismic researchers, Dr. Carlo Ventura. Work done at the UBC lab has helped the country and world in a number of ways, Ventura says in a press release.
"These range from increasing our fundamental understanding of causes and effects of earthquakes in the built environment, how soils and structures respond during earthquakes, development of advanced technologies for seismic protection of existing and new infrastructure through experimental and analytical studies, the development of seismic design codes, regulations and guidelines to ensure resilient structures like buildings, bridges and dams and the education of the public about how earthquakes affect the built environment,” he explains.
Visitors on International ShakeOut Day (Oct. 21 this year) will get to see how earthquakes are simulated, and how that information is used.
The public will be able to visit the lab (located at 2235 East Mall) on Thursday, Oct. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It's open to all ages. Pandemic protocols will be in place like recording names and phone numbers and requiring masks.
