Leaders Push for Building Safety Compliance

December 2019 Newsletter.

Building safety is critical to the health of our communities. We can see that in the aftermath of last month’s 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Albania that left 4,000 people homeless, 2,000 injured and 51 dead. Officials are blaming the devastation on contractors skirting building codes. A bill has been drafted that would sentence all investors, architects and supervisors to up to 15 years in prison for violating construction norms.

Ali Sahabi, GEC
Principal, Optimum Seismic, Inc.

Albania Quake Sparks Building Safety Crackdown

Government leaders in Albania have introduced a bill calling for jail time for contractors who skirt building safety laws. The action came following a 6.4-magnitude quake that left 4,000 homeless, 2,000 injured and 51 dead.
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Two of the biggest US earthquake faults might be linked

Provocative analysis of sea-floor cores suggests that quakes on the Cascadia fault off California can trigger tremors on the San Andreas.
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Scientists Discover Fault System Near Monterey Bay

Fiber optic cables on the ocean floor helped lead scientists to the discovery of a new earthquake fault system near Monterey Bay. The technology may help uncover other faults.
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Structural Engineer Pushes for Better Code Enforcement

A structural engineer is intent on bringing code enforcement to quake-stricken communities in Alaska, after discovering that much of the damage from this year’s quake was the result of not following building standards.
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Geotechnical Findings Will Force School to Move

A Berkeley elementary school will have to relocate, after a recent geotechnical report found the campus buildings could slide up to 20 feet and be cut off from emergency aid if a significant earthquake hits.
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How Risky Are Non-Ductile Buildings in an Earthquake?

A group known as the Concrete Coalition estimates there are 17,000 older non-ductile buildings in California that could collapse in a major earthquake. These include schools, government buildings and hospitals providing essential services to their communities.
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SoCal Leaders Join Forces to Promote Seismic Resiliency

More than 80 Pasadena business property owners attended an informative event last month to learn what they can do in advance to protect the business and their assets. Presentations were made by the Pasadena Fire Department, California Institute of Technology and Optimum Seismic.
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Upcoming Events

Optimum Seismic has several events planned in the near future with our partner associations to assist members in gaining important information about seismic regulations and how they apply to various building types. Click below to find an event near you.
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