DIRECTION OF FALL OF SURFACE STRUCTURES AND GROUND MOTION DURING STRONG EARTHQUAKES

Based on the analysis of macroscopic phenomena as observed at the earthquake sites after the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake and its strong aftershock of magnitude 7.1, it seems apparent that ground motion and the fall of the surface structures during the strong earthquakes have definite predominant directions. For a given region, such effects of different earthquakes are usually different.Within the high intensity zones, there appear many parallel alternately high and low destructive belts. They are generally parallel to the earthquake fault. The result of the observations might provide new basis for various anti-seismic engineering designs.