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2 January, 2020

Earthquake Resiliency Gains Momentum

By |2020-06-18T19:41:52+00:00January 2nd, 2020|AAGLA, Earthquake Protection, Earthquake Resilience, Earthquake Retrofit, Seismic Resilience|

Five years after the City of Los Angeles enacted what was at the time the nation’s most sweeping earthquake retrofit law, progress toward resilience has taken a resounding leap forward.

A “safety revolution” is spreading along our streets and back alleys, with steel frames and strong walls fortifying buildings that were […]

1 January, 2020

The Risks of Evading Hazardous Substance Testing

By |2020-06-18T19:44:01+00:00January 1st, 2020|AACSC, hazardous material|

Many of us grew up in homes containing lead and asbestos, and as a result, we may sometimes downplay the health hazards these substances pose to humans and the environment alike.

We might feel tempted to bypass the rules by removing these contaminants undercover — hoping that no one finds out.

[…]

12 December, 2019

The Economic Benefits of Earthquake-Resistant Buildings

By |2020-06-18T19:50:46+00:00December 12th, 2019|earthquake preparedness, Earthquake Protection, Earthquake Retrofit|

In 1971, the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Van Nuys, California, suffered extensive damage in the 6.5-magnitude Sylmar earthquake. Forced to cease operations in order to rebuild the facility, the self-proclaimed “King of Beers” took another hard financial hit as competitors made inroads into the Anheuser-Busch market during this time. Faced with the […]

3 December, 2019

Disaster Resilience: Protecting Your Community & Assets

By |2020-06-18T19:54:44+00:00December 3rd, 2019|AAGLA|

If a major earthquake were to strike today, would you rather have ample food and water for your family, or a job?

Ideally, you would want both. One is for short-term survival, the other for long-term sustainability.

That’s why, as millions of Californians took part in the recent Great Shakeout earthquake drill […]

2 December, 2019

2019: A Big Year for Quakes and Resiliency

By |2020-06-18T19:58:57+00:00December 2nd, 2019|AACSC|

Unsettling news about earthquakes has rattled much of California this year.

Thirty years after the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, a U.S. Geological Survey geologist is calling the Bay Area a “tectonic time bomb,” and the head of U.C. Berkeley’s Seismological Lab is warning that “Loma Prieta was not the […]

1 December, 2019

UCSD Campus at Risk: Is Your Apartment Building, Too?

By |2020-06-18T20:03:20+00:00December 1st, 2019|SDCAA|

The news is grim: More than half of UCSD’s buildings are a “serious” or “severe risk to life,” according to an internal seismic safety survey obtained by NBC Channel 7.

Two hundred sixty-eight of the university’s 528 buildings are in “poor condition” with “serious” risk of injury in a major earthquake. […]

30 November, 2019

Early Warnings for Earthquakes are Great, But They Won’t Protect Your Building

By |2020-06-24T00:29:12+00:00November 30th, 2019|AACSC|

California recently rolled out its early warning system.

And now, new funding from the federal government will help expand or strengthen the system around Lake Tahoe, Death Valley, Mammoth and Bishop, where the potential for major earthquakes has been found.

This is great news. The early warning system operates on a network […]

29 November, 2019

Are Your Tenants Worried About Earthquake Safety?

By |2020-06-24T00:35:00+00:00November 29th, 2019|SDCAA|

The San Diego Union-Tribune recently published a list of questions submitted to the editor regarding multi-family properties and earthquakes.

Most asked whether HOAs should carry earthquake insurance, with some condo owners saying they thought it was “foolish” not to.

Yes, condos are different than apartments, but in this […]

28 November, 2019

Factoring L.A.’s Cost Recovery Program into Your Cost/Value Analysis

By |2020-06-24T00:40:03+00:00November 28th, 2019|AAGLA|

Recent reports indicate thousands of Los Angeles apartment owners required to retrofit their buildings against earthquakes have not begun the work.

So far, of the more than 12,000 apartments at risk of earthquake damage, about 9,700 have filed the initial permit to begin work, another 2,200 have hired contractors and have […]

27 November, 2019

The Risks of Non-Ductile Concrete Buildings

By |2019-12-06T23:52:03+00:00November 27th, 2019|Non-Ductile Concrete Buildings, Non-Ductile Concrete Buildings Retrofit, Vulnerable Commercial Buildings|

Drive through urban areas and there’s a good chance you’ll pass any number of concrete buildings. It was 1904 when the first concrete high-rise went up in Cincinnati. These structures were popular across the country as early as the turn of the 20th century. Concrete buildings remained prevalent throughout the […]

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