‘Seismic wallpaper’ may help houses through quakes

Researchers in Germany are working on a material that can keep walls from collapsing during earthquakes — and even detect them before they happen. The “seismic” wallpaper being developed by scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in western Germany is embedded into a masonry wall imparting “horizontal reinforcement” to the earth’s sharp lateral movements during an quake. “It’s particularly beneficial where there are many stone and brick buildings and a lot of seismic activity,” researcher Moritz Urban told, adding that the material allows for masonry to break slightly but hold the wall in place. “Normally walls would crumble … and perhaps the entire house would collapse,” Urban said. “At the least we’re able to keep a wall together — it lets a wall weaken but it still stays intact.” The “smart” tissue is woven with an optical sensor that can perceive small vibrations which may be able to set off a warning before a major quake. Urban and his team use the pounding of hydraulic pistons to simulate quakes in the lab. Although the wallpaper has yet to make it onto the market, it is already turning heads in Germany, winning a govt and industry sponsored innovation prize this month.