Question

Sylvia is designing a new shopping center to be built near a transform boundary. Aware of the dangers of geologic activity along a transform boundary, what would be the best safety feature for Sylvia’s design? Buildings with heat-resistant exteriors that can withstand high temperatures from erupting volcanoes. Shorter buildings designed with some flexibility, enabling them to move without falling apart during an earthquake. Taller buildings that are made of very rigid steel beams that are strong enough to withstand the effects of an earthquake. Taller buildings with very deep foundations that go past the transform boundary’s depth, anchoring them in the event of an earthquake.

Answer 1

Answer:

The best answer to the question: What would be the best safety feature for Sylvia´s design, would be: Shorter buildings designed with some flexibility, enabling them to move without falling apart during an earthquake.

Explanation:

Transform boundaries are defined as geological places where two plates meet and slide against each other in a horizontal fashion. San Andreas fault, in California, is one such example. The issue with these boundaries is that they tend to move with a certain level of frequency, which means, that people who live near, or over, them, will experience small, recurrent earth movements that will not be strong enough to affect buildings, or their lives, but that can put a building´s resistance capacity to the test. If built too high, at some point the structure might find itself losing its resistance. Whereas if Sylvia goes with the shorter buildings, that have flexibility to move, this constant movement of the plates will be basically harmless as it will not damage the structure.

Answer 2

Since the plates are sliding along one another transform boundaries don't have volcanoes but small earthquakes so: 

Shorter buildings designed with some flexibility, enabling them to move without falling apart during an earthquake.