Slow-motion earthquake testing probes how buildings collapse in quakes

It takes just seconds for tall buildings to collapse during earthquakes. Knowing what's happening in those seconds can help engineers design buildings that are less prone to sustaining that kind of damage. But the nature of collapse is not well understood. That's why researchers at the University at Buffalo and Kyoto University teamed up to try an innovative "hybrid" approach to testing that may provide a safer, less expensive way to learn about building collapses.