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People in earthquake-prone areas know that once the ground starts shaking, it's time to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On." Schools along fault lines practice the drill at least once a year to remind students that their desks are to be used as shelter. But standard classroom desks aren't built to withstand falling debris that occurs during large earthquakes.
"It is a combination of structure and material that absorbs and transfers the energy in such a way that the important space underneath remains intact." -- Ido BrunoEnter the design duo of Arthur Brutter and Ido Bruno from Jerusalem's Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. The pair have created a desk that will shelter and protect students from damages that occur during a catastrophic earthquake.
"The table functions well, thanks to very efficient impact energy management," Bruno told Wired in an email. "It is a combination of structure and material that absorbs and transfers the energy in such a way that the important space underneath remains intact."
The desk features patent-pending technology that makes it capable of enduring various collapse situations. It also provides escape route options, depending on how the desks are arranged and how debris falls. The final result took about 2.5 years of R&D refinement to design, says Bruno.
To get a sense of what this piece of furniture can handle, the typical weight of a falling ceiling is around 350kg (770 pounds). But the earthquake-proof desk can withstand a lot more than that: It successfully passed vertical impact tests of up to 1000kg, which at 2,204 pounds is more than a ton.
The earthquake-ready desk will be featured in the 2012 Design Bonanza Bezalel exhibition in Milan from April 17 to April 22, and has been nominated for London Design Museum's design of the year award. It's more than just a concept design, though. The table is currently licensed by school furniture manufacturer A.D. Meraz Industries Ltd. for distribution in Israel.
According to Bruno, the team is working on further international manufacturing and distribution negotiations. The desk will cost about 2.5 times the price of a standard school desk, but is expected to last about twice as long as well.
Judging from the impact test video (below), it's pretty clear that this is the desk you'd want as cover when The Big One hits.
[via Dezeen]
