Digital Twins to Protect Northern Russian Apartment Buildings from Earthquakes

Russian scientists developed a seismic simulation tool that could replace expensive real-world tests and improve safety in earthquake-prone areas.

Russian researchers have developed a new computational method and accompanying software to assess how earthquakes could affect multi-story buildings. The tool is tailored for the Far North, where many homes are built on pile foundations and seismic activity is increasing. But its application isn’t limited to Russia’s arctic — it could prove vital in any earthquake-prone zone.

According to scientists from the Science Communication Center at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), the technology creates a digital twin of a pile-supported building, simulating seismic impact across dozens of parameters. It identifies potential structural weaknesses — even pinpointing the direction cracks could travel. This insight could help retrofit existing apartment buildings and guide better design of new ones.

 The software accounts for vibrations, ground subsidence patterns, and maximum stress on the piles. Beyond improving safety and risk forecasting, it may eliminate the need for costly full-scale structural testing, significantly reducing engineering expenses.