Lately it seems that every time I turn on the news, I encounter images of buildings devastated by horrific and unexpected disasters. Friday, a tornado hit Atlanta, Georgia. Saturday, a construction crane toppled in New York City, demolishing a building, damaging three others, and killing several people. Will we ever be able to design buildings strong enough to withstand disasters like these?

Here are some Web sites that explore the question, each in a very different way:

• Engineering Failure Watch documents collapses caused by faulty engineering.
• How Skyscrapers Work discusses the structure of tall buildings and explains why some fall down.
• Build it & Bust it is a site designed mainly for kids, offering a chance to design structures and test whether they will stand up.

^{Photo: A construction crane detached from a building and fell onto a four-story town house at East 51st Street, near Second Avenue, destroying the building March 15, 2008 in New York City. Three other buildings were also damaged. © Michael Nagle / Getty Images}