ABSTRACT
Earthquakes are perhaps the most devastating and destructive hazards in nature. They are unpredictable and can be violent. Due to the increase in population and the concentration of inhabitants into urban areas, the need to protect human lives and to mitigate economic loss becomes increasingly urgent. Recent studies1,2 have shown that buried pipelines, which may carry water, sewage, gas, oil, etc., have been heavily damaged by earthquakes, including the recent Loma Prieta earthquake.3
