Earthquakes occur in many parts of the world, sometimes with great regularity. The magnitude of an earthquake is measured by the Richter seismic scale, while the severity of a earthquake is measured in terms of damage and lives lost. The damage and casualties are related to more than the strength of the tremor, but also to population density and the quality of building construction.

In the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, a majority of the buildings withstood the tremors but were destroyed by the fire that followed. It not only spawned demands for fireproofing techniques, but also brought about earthquake-proof primary and secondary water supply systems for fighting fires.

During later earthquakes, many overpasses of the California interstate highway system collapsed or were damaged because of their inflexible design. In the 1950s, the concept of ductility, or pliancy, was formulated. It called for the use of energy-absorbing...