Earthquakes

Many people live in places where there is a risk of earthquakes. Timber is a good choice for houses in these areas because wooden construction is able to absorb a lot of movement and energy. Materials like brick and concrete are very stiff and crack easily so it is more complicated to make earthquake resistant buildings from them. Steel bolts and welds can also crack in situations like this.

In most cases the buildings won't actually be designed to survive a big earthquake without any damage at all. The most important thing is for the building to stay standing long enough so that people can get outside. People often choose to build their houses from timber because it makes them easy to repair after a natural disaster.

The first video shows a timber frame building and the second video shows a concrete frame building. Notice how this timber building is able to recover after large movements, whereas this concrete building can't.