With a 70 percent probability, there will be a major earthquake in the region around San Francisco within the next 30 years, according to the USGS, the US Geological Survey.
- The earthquake can occur now, it can occur within 20 years - but it will not wait for a hundred years, says seismologist David Schwarts in the World of Science - Dangerous skyscrapers.
"Saving lives is not enough"
The taller the buildings, the more damage they can cause if they were to collapse during an earthquake.
It risks human life, but also great financial damage.
- We try to change the building rules to say "saving lives is not enough".
We need functional recovery, that we can regain the function of the building within a reasonable time, says seismologist Lucy Jones.
Unique but expensive construction
The 181 Fremont skyscraper in San Francisco is an attempt to achieve just that.
The building was completed in 2018 and has a unique construction which, according to the building engineer, will be able to withstand earthquakes.
But building skyscrapers of that type can cost a lot.
Civil engineer Ronald O Hamburger believes that it will require mandatory rules from decision-makers for more people to invest in building such houses - or a strong earthquake.
"If we were hit by a major earthquake that caused catastrophic damage, similar to the ones we saw in New Orleans after Katrina, it might have been enough to change society's attitude and promote an era when we actually develop more resilient structures," he says.
Click on the video above to see how the construction of the 181 Fremont works. Want to know more about the challenges that the increasing number of skyscrapers in the world can bring? See the whole world of Science - Dangerous skyscrapers on Monday 8 November 20.00 on SVT2 or already now on SVT Play.