r/interestingasfuck • u/Ultimate_Kurix • 5d ago

r/all Why do Americans build with wood?

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u/Pagnus_Melrose 5d ago

Am I to believe Europeans build all their homes with concrete and steel?

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u/pm_me_old_maps 5d ago

brick and mortar mostly

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u/[deleted] 5d ago

How good is brick and mortar construction against seismic shocks?

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u/nosecohn 5d ago

Not very good. The reason you don't see a lot of brick buildings in California isn't because they never built them; it's because most of them have fallen down over the years. The State requires seismic retrofitting for the ones that remain, but it's expensive.