On Jan 12, 11:54*pm, "Malcom \"Mal\" Reynolds" atlas-
wrote:
went to one of the local indian casinos for the buffer (great price and good
food) and notice that the floor seemed to be springy. It's an all concrete
building and I was trying to explain to my friend that it shouldn't be that way
but she insisted that it was to help resist earthquake damage.

went back and forth so she made me ask around. how do I explain that her logic
is wrong...or is it?

You have no idea if the floor itself (supporting structure and poured
slab) was "springy" or if it was part of the floor surfacing treatment
which created a cushioning effect which you experienced...

In certain types of flooring a cushioning effect is created by the
materials which are just under the surface layer to prevent injury or
fatigue in the people using the area... Ex: basketball court flooring
has shock absorbing layers underneath the shiny wooden top layer,
dance flooring has similar properties...

Which area of the casino were you in ? In most casinos the "floor"
is not actually the slab, the entire gaming floor area is set up on
top
of a raised flooring system of the kind you would see used in a
computer data center of the type you would find a super computer
located in so that any configuration desired for power wiring and
communications cabling can be quickly set up simply by pulling
whatever wiring is needed below the flooring system to whichever
spot it is desired or needed in anywhere in the gaming area...

You are correct in that your friend hasn't a clue about what is a
"safe"
design for earthquakes... Wherein you would want shock absorbers
in the main structural elements and a tuned mass damper in a tall
building, and in a smaller building like a home, it is all about
maintaining
structural integrity between all the major component parts of the
house
so that the lateral forces don't rip it apart or separate it from its
foundation...
Landslide protection in the way of extreme anchoring the house to the
ground with oversized foundation elements is also often a precaution
required in areas with earthquake protection requirements in the
building
code...

~~ Evan