Final answer:
Soils with little resistance can lead to subsidences of structures during earthquakes. Resonance can intensely vibrate buildings, making them more susceptible to collapse. Larger structures with large roof spans are particularly vulnerable due to standing waves and destructive interference.
Step-by-step explanation:
Soils that provide little resistance to seismic forces may cause subsidences of the structure. This is a phenomenon often related to soil compaction, extraction of natural resources, and withdrawal of groundwater, but it is particularly relevant to earthquake dynamics. When an earthquake's seismic waves encounter a building, there can be an effect known as resonance, where the driving frequency of the seismic waves matches the natural frequency of a building, causing that building to vibrate intensely and potentially collapse.
Larger structures like gymnasiums and churches tend to have larger roofs that are supported only at the edges, creating conditions for destructive interference and ultimately making them more vulnerable to collapse during an earthquake. Moreover, due to the selective reinforcement effect created by standing waves and constructive interference, the destruction may vary even in buildings of similar structures depending on their location relative to the earthquake's epicenter and other geological conditions.
The significance of understanding these concepts is crucial in structural engineering, particularly in earthquake-prone areas, for designing buildings that can withstand seismic forces and thus protecting lives and reducing damage.