Building vulnerability

In addition to the hazard and the local subsoil, the building in which you live or spend a lot of time is an important factor for the earthquake risk. The better your house resists an earthquake, for example, because it has been reinforced accordingly, the less is going to happen to you if an earthquake occurs.

A building which was not engineered to withstand earthquakes can be destroyed even by an earthquake with middling magnitude, while a building constructed with the earthquake risk in mind can withstand much larger ground movements. Buildings made from reinforced concrete and from wood are generally able to withstand stronger earthquakes and are much less vulnerable than brick buildings. The latter are very common in Switzerland.