3. The ability of a building to withstand the stress of an earthquake depends
upon its type of construction, shape, mass distribution, and rigidity. Different
combinations are used. To reduce stress, first, the building's ground floor
must be flexible. One method is to support the ground floor with extremely
rigid, hollow columns, while the rest of the building is supported by flexible
columns located inside the hollow columns. A different method is to use
rollers or rubber pads to separate the base columns from the ground, allowing
the columns to shake parallel during an earthquake. Next, the outdoor walls
should be made with stronger and more reinforced materials such as steel or
reinforced concrete. Then, to help prevent collapsing, the roof should be made
out of light-weight materials.​