[Greenbuilding] rigid or flexible? are there any lessons from the Japan earthquake for fastening residential structures to their foundations?

[Reuben Deumling]

I'm in the process of bolting my house to a knee wall which will be bolted
and nailed and otherwise rendered inseparable from the foundation, or so I
imagine. But knowing just a little about earthquakes I'm not sure that
pursuing rigid connections of a wooden structure to a concrete foundation is
the best approach or last word on the subject. In the Pacific Northwest we
are due for something on the same order of magnitude as Japan just
experienced, and I'm curious if anyone here has any insights about what
worked and didn't work in similar structures/circumstances in Japan?

Thanks.

Reuben
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