Like pebbles dropped in a pond, earthquakes can have far-reaching effects.  The 2008 Sichuan earthquake collapsed nearly 80 percent of buildings in the immediate region—but swayed others as far as 1,000 miles away.  With most of the 70,000 deaths resulting from building collapse, it is clear that structural integrity is the first line of defense in preventing earthquakes’ devastating effects. USU engineering researcher Keri Ryan received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to lead a team of researchers to study and promote seismic isolation systems, which allow buildings to move—instead of crack and crumble—during earthquakes.  The isolators consist of rubber pads or friction bearings placed beneath a structure, and Ryan’s team is working to remove the practical barriers to their widespread adoption.  One solution is to place the isolators above the first floor of buildings, instead of in the foundation, to cut costs.  Ryan believes these and other measures will save lives during earthquakes.