AACSC

3 April, 2024

Dispelling Myths Surrounding Earthquakes and Retrofitting

By |2024-04-22T19:15:50+00:00April 3rd, 2024|AACSC, Earthquake Retrofit, Earthquakes|

Earthquakes have confused and terrified people throughout human history.

In ancient times, many people believed earthquakes were the result of angry gods, giants and huge animals.

The Japanese believed a giant catfish living at the bottom of the ocean would shake the Earth when he moved. The Greeks blamed Poseidon, the god […]

2 March, 2024

Marking The 91st Anniversary Of The Long Beach Earthquake

By |2024-03-11T22:29:47+00:00March 2nd, 2024|AACSC, earthquake damage, Earthquake Resilience|

There are few remaining survivors of the infamous 1933 Long Beach Earthquake, but Poly High School remains a storied reminder of that tragedy: the timing of which – at 5:56 p.m. – saved the lives of hundreds if not thousands of children because classes were not in session.

This month marks […]

4 February, 2024

Earthquake Resiliency Can Protect California’s Affordable Housing Supply

By |2024-02-07T22:02:26+00:00February 4th, 2024|AACSC, Earthquake Resilience, Earthquake Retrofit|

How would a massive earthquake impact California’s housing shortage?

The answer is obvious.  A major earthquake that hits densely-populated urban areas would make California’s housing shortage much worse.

Such an earthquake could take a heavy toll on California’s affordable housing supply, particularly the older, soft-story apartment buildings that are most at-risk of […]

4 January, 2024

Why Retrofits, Like Seatbelts, Should Not Be Taken Lightly

By |2024-01-23T15:52:24+00:00January 4th, 2024|AACSC, Earthquake Retrofit, Earthquake Retrofit Benefits|

People often reference the Northridge earthquake of 1994 when they speak about seismic disasters. After all, it’s something many of us experienced first-hand: an event that we can relate to.

The 6.7-magnitude thrust of the quake rattled Southern California a mere 10 to 20 seconds and caused $67 billion in widespread […]

2 December, 2023

Science Offers Best Seismic Safety Answers

By |2023-12-20T19:39:46+00:00December 2nd, 2023|AACSC, Building Safety, Buildings Resilience, earthquake preparedness, Seismic Engineering|

A recent social media post raised the following question about earthquake safety.

Q: Is there a way to know how safe your apartment building is in case of an earthquake? 

One person commented that if her apartment is still standing, it has survived everything until now — wrongly implying that the building […]

4 November, 2023

Seismic Retrofits Protect Affordable Housing

By |2023-11-09T03:41:20+00:00November 4th, 2023|AACSC, Seismic Retrofit|

Plans to convert a community hospital into a multi-service health care campus were stalled as officials reviewed a state law requiring governments to give priority to affordable housing developers when selling or leasing surplus land.

[…]

4 October, 2023

Asbestos? Lead? It Pays To Do Things Right

By |2023-10-17T20:31:09+00:00October 4th, 2023|AACSC, asbestos, lead|

Many older homes and apartment buildings contain lead and asbestos.  Owners sometimes downplay the health hazards these substances pose to humans and the environment alike, and feel tempted to bypass the rules by removing these contaminants undercover — hoping that no one finds out.

Failure to comply with the law on […]

4 September, 2023

Earthquakes And Tsunamis: A Double Threat For Coastal Communities

By |2023-09-18T22:04:31+00:00September 4th, 2023|AACSC, Earthquake Protection, Tsunamis|

Two significant earthquake threats face communities in the Apartment Association of California Southern Cities area. 

One is the well-known risk of buildings being damaged by strong seismic shaking. The second is more localized along low coastal areas — the danger of a tsunami triggered by an earthquake […]

3 August, 2023

Earthquake Faults Threaten Both New And Old Buildings

By |2023-08-22T16:06:01+00:00August 3rd, 2023|AACSC, Commercial Buildings, earthquake preparedness, Earthquake Risk, Earthquake Threats|

Should new construction be allowed on top of active earthquake faults? And, what about the thousands of structures already perched upon these fearsome fissures?

These questions have played out in Hollywood and other parts of the Southland in recent years, where a worrisome weave of active faults snakes its way through […]

2 July, 2023

Myths About Earthquakes And Retrofits Dispelled

By |2023-07-11T16:10:04+00:00July 2nd, 2023|AACSC, Earthquake Retrofit, Earthquakes|

Earthquakes have confused and terrified people throughout human history.

In ancient times, many people believed earthquakes were the result of angry gods, giants and huge animals.

The Japanese believed a giant catfish living at the bottom of the ocean would shake the Earth when he moved. The Greeks blamed Poseidon, the god […]

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