What waves are the slowest and most damaging, capable of crumbling buildings?

Surface waves are the slowest and most damaging, capable of crumbling buildings. There are several different kinds of seismic waves, and they all move in different ways. The two main types of waves are body waves and surface waves. Surface waves are seismic waves that travel across the surface of the earth, they usually have larger amplitudes and longer wavelengths than body waves, and travel more slowly than body waves.