You probably had a hard time finding an answer because it really depends on the circumstances and especially on the building.
A poorly constructed building can collapse on its own, without the help of an earthquake. If the hotel has been sufficiently undermined by the underground tunnels, then even a minor earthquake could be enough.
But if you want a bigger earthquake, you could do that to. Just make the tunnels not as damaging. This seems like something you can tailor to the needs of your story.
lol- what she said! If the tunnels were poorly reinforced, or if the hotel's foundation support were inadequate, it could happen at anytime, with or without an earthquake. If the building was well constructed, designed not to fall into the tunnels, you'd need a major quake to cause that. Try googling earthquake proof architecture and buildings, sublevels, etc.
Building collapse depends on various factors: construction methods and materials (and whether the contractors followed code or used shoddy workmanship and materials); was the building properly bolted to its foundation; how strong the earthquake was; and what the building was built on (bedrock, etc.) are a few things I can think of. In the Loma Prieta quake of 1989 (The World Series Quake), the Marina District in San Francisco suffered the most damage in San Francisco because the buildings were built on filled land (much of it rubble from the 1906 quake that devastated San Francisco). The buildings collapsed, in part, because of a phenomenon known as liquifaction
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Do you require the building to survive reasonably intact? If so, I'd imagine that the first layer of tunnel collapses, the building drops, and the impact damages the next layer of support. The building would take damage in a series of eight-foot to fifteen-foot drops, but it might survive intact, especially if you assume that it's up to (or better than) the city's standards for earthquake safety.
As far as the magnitude of the earthquake, if the section of the tunnels that supports the hotel is what gives out, it could just be the last straw. It wouldn't take much if the tunnels are unstable in this one section.
If the hotel is expected to take damage, there's still room to play with the strength, depending on how old the building is supposed to be. If it predates the last change to building codes, it might be less able to withstand earthquake damage.
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A poorly constructed building can collapse on its own, without the help of an earthquake. If the hotel has been sufficiently undermined by the underground tunnels, then even a minor earthquake could be enough.
But if you want a bigger earthquake, you could do that to. Just make the tunnels not as damaging. This seems like something you can tailor to the needs of your story.
Reply
If the tunnels were poorly reinforced, or if the hotel's foundation support were inadequate, it could happen at anytime, with or without an earthquake. If the building was well constructed, designed not to fall into the tunnels, you'd need a major quake to cause that.
Try googling earthquake proof architecture and buildings, sublevels, etc.
Reply
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As far as the magnitude of the earthquake, if the section of the tunnels that supports the hotel is what gives out, it could just be the last straw. It wouldn't take much if the tunnels are unstable in this one section.
If the hotel is expected to take damage, there's still room to play with the strength, depending on how old the building is supposed to be. If it predates the last change to building codes, it might be less able to withstand earthquake damage.
Reply
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