Tuesday, November 30, 2010

[californiadisasters] EQ Symposium on Risk of Collapsing Buildings Stirs Some Controversy



UCLA conference brings together seismic experts and structural engineers to assess retrofit needs. But some see a conflict in sponsorship by firms that stand to benefit from construction work.

It began more than three years ago, when a half-ton piece of stucco fell from the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport.

Engineers scrutinized the structure and discovered the arched landmark — the inspiration for the jet-set architecture in "The Jetsons" — was at risk for collapse or irreparable damage in an earthquake.

The discovery came not from a government mandate but because the airport's owner, Los Angeles World Airports, a city agency, decided to reevaluate the structural fitness of the half-century-old structure in light of the stucco failure.

The revelation resulted in a $10-million effort to voluntarily seismically retrofit the building. To some earthquake experts and structural engineers, the renovation underscores the need for property owners to focus on seismic retrofitting even when it is not mandated by building codes or government laws.

The story of the Theme Building will take center stage Wednesday at a symposium at UCLA called "Imminent Danger," which will bring in speakers from Caltech, LAX and UCLA to talk about the threat from and economic impact of building collapse in an earthquake.

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View entire article here: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-earthquake-scare-20101201,0,164471.story


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