What's Next?
The technology of the present allows buildings to be earthquake resistant. Further production of buildings using this technology may save countless lives. So what's the next step? Making buildings entirely earthquake-proof would completely eradicate the problem of earthquakes as a natural disaster. Earthquakes may be looked at in the same manner that thunderstorms are.
Active Control Systems
Active control systems are actually used in a few buildings in Japan, but the idea of them is quite futuristic and can be developed more on. An active control system is a system that may be installed in a building, that allows the building to change its properties after sensing an approaching quake. Basically, the building makes itself stronger to brace itself for an earthquake. Active control systems are very feasible; they can be installed for 0.5% of the entire structure's cost, which is rather cost-effective.
Rocking Frame
The idea of a rocking frame was proposed and is being developed by researchers Greg Deierlein and Jerome Hajjar. Rocking frames use steel frames and tendons to work. During the earthquake the steel frames may move all they want; the energy is directed downward into the foundation. Once the quake ceases, steel tendons attached to the frames pull the building into an upright position, therefore leaving the structure in its original orientation.
Seismic "Invisibility Cloak"
A more far-fetched idea for making a structure entirely impervious to earthquakes is the seismic "invisibility cloak". In this proposal, one hundred plastic rings are placed beneath a building. When the seismic waves reach the building and enter the rings, they are compressed and forced "into a bottleneck". This causes the waves to zip by below the building, departing through the rings on the opposite side.