Two recent deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria offer lessons regarding construction practices and codes for California, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
Lax building standards were blamed for much of the devastation, including well over 35,000 dead and countless building collapses. Officials have been investigating construction practices and have arrested some builders, with experts pointing to corruption or incompetence.
The Associated Press reported that even though Turkey has construction codes that meet current earthquake-engineering standards, they are too rarely enforced. Although extensive seismic retrofit work has been either completed, started, or scheduled, many southern California buildings are still considered vulnerable to extensive damage from sizable tremors.
Structures built with non-ductile concrete construction; so-called “soft-story” apartments that have flimsy ground floors typically used as a garage, carport, or for retail space; and unreinforced brick buildings are all at risk. Los Angeles has mandated seismic retrofits on many buildings, but there is much work to do with the deadline to comply for some building types set in the 2040s.
Related Stories
Resiliency | Nov 16, 2023
How inclusive design supports resilience and climate preparedness
Gail Napell, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, shares five tips and examples of inclusive design across a variety of building sectors.
Office Buildings | Sep 28, 2023
Structural engineering solutions for office-to-residential conversion
IMEG's Edwin Dean, Joe Gulden, and Doug Sweeney, share seven key focuses for structural engineers when planning office-to-residential conversions.
3D Printing | Jun 20, 2023
World's largest 3D-printed building completed in Florida
Printed Farms, known for completing Florida’s first permitted 3D-printed house in Tallahassee, announces the completion of the world’s largest 3D-printed building: a luxury horse barn.
Engineers | Jun 5, 2023
How to properly assess structural wind damage
Properly assessing wind damage can identify vulnerabilities in a building's design or construction, which could lead to future damage or loss, writes Matt Wagner, SE, Principal and Managing Director with Walter P Moore.
Mass Timber | Jun 2, 2023
First-of-its-kind shake test concludes mass timber’s seismic resilience
Last month, a 10-story mass timber structure underwent a seismic shake test on the largest shake table in the world.
3D Printing | May 12, 2023
World’s first 3D-printed medical center completed
3D construction printing reached new heights this week as the world’s first 3D-printed medical center was completed in Thailand.
Seismic Design | Nov 16, 2022
SPC-4D: 7 reasons California hospital building owners should act now to meet seismic compliance
Seismic compliance with the applicable California building codes is onerous and disruptive for building owners, especially for a building in the heavily regulated sector of healthcare. Owners of older buildings that house acute care services have a big deadline on the horizon—Jan. 1, 2030, the cutoff date to upgrade their buildings to SPC-4D.
Sponsored | Steel Buildings | Nov 7, 2022
Steel structures offer faster path to climate benefits
Faster delivery of buildings isn’t always associated with sustainability benefits or long-term value, but things are changing. An instructive case is in the development of steel structures that not only allow speedier erection times, but also can reduce embodied carbon and create durable, highly resilient building approaches.
Data Centers | Oct 31, 2022
Data center construction facing record-breaking inflation, delays
Data center construction projects face record-breaking inflation amid delays to materials deliveries and competition for skilled labor, according to research from global professional services company Turner & Townsend.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | Oct 15, 2021
7 game-changing trends in structural engineering
Here are seven key areas where innovation in structural engineering is driving evolution.
