How Politics and Culture Determine Building Safety Codes

June 2019 Newsletter.

A recent magnitude 8 earthquake in Peru caused little damage, while another several years ago killed hundreds and damaged tens of thousands of structures. Why is it that quakes of the same magnitude can be so different? Scientific American explains below that it is all about location. We also know that earthquake damage is determined by soil conditions, the type of wave movement, and the vulnerability of the structure hit by that land movement. If you live or work in a vulnerable building that has survived quakes in the past, remember that a different set of circumstances may bring about entirely different results. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about your retrofit needs and how to best protect your assets.

Ali Sahabi, GEC
Principal, Optimum Seismic, Inc.

Apple Designs Headquarters to Survive the Big One

While other buildings in Silicon Valley are likely to suffer damage after an earthquake, Apple’s new headquarters are designed to be usable immediately after the Big One, the New York Times reported.
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Politics, Attitudes About Risk Influence Structural Codes

We have the know-how to build structures that can survive even a major earthquake. Whether that happens is very much a matter of politics and cultural attitudes about risk, the New York Times reported.
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Study: Small Quake May Signal Future Disaster

Scientists say a small earthquake near Newport-Inglewood/Rose Canyon fault may be the harbinger of a 6.8 to 7.5 magnitude quake, more powerful than what was experienced there in 1933, the L.A. Times reported.
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Why Do Buildings Fail In An Earthquake?

There’s a saying in our industry, that earthquakes don’t kill people. Buildings do. Yes, it is over-simplified, but the fact remains that earthquake threats to public safety are fundamentally linked to structural stability.
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8.0 Quakes in Peru Cause Strikingly Different Impacts

Two quakes. The same magnitude of intensity, and in the same country. Why would one cause hundreds of deaths and catastrophic damage while the other quake caused so little?
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SoCal Riddled with Tiny Quakes. Is Big One Coming?

Hundreds of earthquakes hit Southern California recently, the majority not felt because they were so small. It has been five years since the region experienced a quake of 6.0 or larger, the Los Angeles Times reported. Is this a sign we should be worried?
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AYellowstone Aftershocks Arrive Nearly 60 Years Later

The Yellowstone earthquake of 1959 triggered aftershocks that arrived between 2017 and 2018, according to researchers at the University of Utah. Scientists explain that the residual effects of quakes are long-lasting, with temblors of long ago still felt today.
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Upcoming Events

Join us and our partner associations for a free educational workshop about retrofits and resiliency. Our next event, in partnership with the Apartment Association of California Southern Cities, is scheduled for June 25. Click below for details or to find other events.
Upcoming Events