OPTIMUM SEISMIC, INC.
August 2023 NEWSLETTER
Santa Monica offers earthquake safety lessons to communities throughout California and the West
Ali Sahabi, GEC
Principal,
Optimum Seismic, Inc.
Santa Monica has emerged as a leader in California earthquake safety, retrofitting more than half of its seismically vulnerable buildings.
The ambitious effort to upgrade several types of structures that historically have amplified death and destruction resulting from major temblors has made the city a model as more communities grapple with seismic retrofitting.
“It’s pretty impressive how many buildings were retrofit since 2017, especially considering that we were dealing with COVID in the middle of all that,” said Patti Harburg-Petrich, former president of the Structural Engineers Assn. of Southern California.
Contact Optimum Seismic if you have concerns about the structural safety of your buildings.
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Most earthquakes rumbling under the West’s Great Basin come in surges, clustered together in time and place. Scientists call these seismic groups “swarms,” which are a distinct category from the numerous aftershocks following a big shake, such as the 5.7 magnitude Magna quake of 2020 on the Wasatch Fault.
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Portland’s seismic hazards stem from subduction zone
When people think of earthquakes in the continental U.S., they often think of California. But Oregon — and particularly Portland — also are in the heart of earthquake country, where seismic hazards come from Cascadia Subduction Zone and shallow crustal faults within and around the city.
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Quake response: How can felt reports help?
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Taylor Swift fans ‘Shake It Off,’ causing record seismic activity
Two nights of earth-shaking dancing at Swift’s Seattle “Eras” tour concert at Lumen Field, caused seismic activity equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude quake, according to seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach.
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New study shows how to distinguish between slow and fast earthquakes
Researchers from the University of Tokyo and Stanford University show what differentiates slow and fast earthquakes and how their magnitudes vary with time.
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Largest quake test for mass-timber tower successful
US architecture studio Lever Architecture and a team of researchers have successfully tested the earthquake-resistant capabilities of a 10-story, mass-timber building in California.
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Quake Retrofit Laws Make Vulnerable Buildings Safer
Dragging a block of wood wrapped with sandpaper along a sandpaper runway is giving rural residents of Alaska a sense of the geology associated with earthquakes. These exercises are teaching residents important lessons and building resilience through heightened understanding.
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Transform Your Area with Optimum Seismic
The Optimum Seismic team has been one of the leading engineering and construction companies dealing with earthquake retrofits and renovations in California since 1984. We are available to help with analysis or construction of your project.
Contact Optimum Seismic to set up your complimentary property assessment today. Call (833) 978-7664 of visit optimumseismic.com
