Seattle Earthquake Put Technology to the Test

摘要

The 6.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the Pacific Northwest in February provided engineers with a real-life test of equipment that has been developed since the last major quake hit the United States. For example, structural engineers who work for the city of Glendale, California, flew to Seattle to use their new structural inspection system—powered by wireless handheld computers—to help the city survey its buildings for damage. The data entered into the computers after inspection was uploaded to the engineer's offices instantly.