Tag Archives: Earthquakes

The First Seismic Retrofitting Project in the World!

A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to visit the Hagia Sofia (Aya Sofya) in Istanbul, Turkey.  Built originally as a church in the 4thCentury by a Roman Emperor, it was damaged by earthquakes and fires over the centuries, … Continue reading

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Your Earthquake Risk Exposure Part II- Seismic Retrofitting

In the previous article, I talked about your earthquake risk that is related to indirect effects of earthquakes on your house, such as liquefaction, tsunamis, flooding caused by dam failures, landslides, firestorms  triggered by the earthquake, etc.  Your best option … Continue reading

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Can We Design for Tsunamis?

After writing my last blog, I was expecting someone to ask, “How can you design for a tsunami?”  In California we have been designing buildings to resist earthquakes since 1930’s.  Over the years our building codes have evolved and improved, … Continue reading

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Seeing, Believing, and Earthquake Preparedness

Since I started this blog about three weeks ago and began writing about earthquakes, value of earthquake resistance, and “buying, selling, and building safe & sound homes in the San Francisco Bay Area” we had two major earthquakes.  The Magnitude … Continue reading

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Value of Earthquake Resistance

Foundations, walls, columns, floor and roof joists, trusses, and beams are elements that form the structural system of a building.   Structural systems carry the building’s weight, as well as the weight of its contents and occupants.  They also enable the … Continue reading

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Pictures from New Zealand Earthquake

Here is a link for those who have never seen a post-earthquake disaster area.  Note that most collapsed buildings are “Unreinforced Masonry” (stone or brick) and “Nonductile Concrete Buildings” (the buildings that tend to “pancake” in earthquakes). In California we have somewhat … Continue reading

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Myths of Loma Prieta Earthquake

The Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on October 17, 1989.  It measured Magnitude 6.9 on Richter scale, and its epicenter was located about 9 miles North-East of Santa Cruz.  A section of the Bay Bridge, numerous buildings in San Francisco’s Marina … Continue reading

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What Is Below the Lake?

The header on this page is a view of the Crystal Springs Reservoir, which extends along Highway 280, south of San Francisco.  Beyond the lake, you see the fog draping over the Santa Cruz Mountains.  I love this view, and … Continue reading

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