A recent earthquake registering 4.9 took place in North Queensland and serves as a reminder that ground movements are taking place at all times and that individuals involved in the design, construction, inspection and the end use of buildings should incorporate adequate measures to minimise risk to the individual. The Australian Government Geoscience site provides a reminder of the issues under consideration.
What is an earthquake?
Earthquakes are the vibrations caused by rocks breaking under stress. The underground surface along which the rock breaks and moves is called a fault plane.
The focus, or “hypocentre”, of an earthquake is the point where it originated within the Earth. The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus is called the earthquake epicentre…..