Hi Shlok Karwa ,

You have formulated a question that is based on an excellent idea that could have many useful consequences if we think about it further.

Regards,

Laszlo

Shlok Karwa

The use of electromagnetic levitation to lift buildings off the ground as a means of earthquake protection is a concept that, while theoretically intriguing, is neither technically nor practically feasible from the perspective of modern engineering. Electromagnetic levitation requires precise control of strong magnetic fields and a continuous supply of large amounts of energy, which presents significant limitations when dealing with structures weighing thousands of tons, as is the case with most buildings. Moreover, ensuring the stability of such a system would be extremely complex and risky — any power failure or control system malfunction could lead to catastrophic consequences. Currently available technologies, such as seismic isolation using elastomeric bearings and sliding systems, provide far more efficient and reliable mitigation of seismic forces without the need for active levitation systems. Therefore, although electromagnetic levitation has applications in transportation systems such as maglev trains, its use in civil engineering — particularly for earthquake protection — remains beyond the reach of practical engineering solutions and falls more into the realm of speculative or futuristic concepts.