In earthquake-prone California, new seismic codes are believed to have significantly boosted safety and resiliency, but much of the state’s older building stock is highly vulnerable to seismic events.
Last year, Los Angeles took a major step to address that deficiency when it enacted the toughest set of mandatory seismic upgrade laws in the nation. The legislation requires the retrofit of some 15,000 buildings. Some owners may have to pay millions of dollars to pay for the retrofits.
Unless other communities or the state follow Los Angeles’s lead with an evaluation and upgrade law, building codes do not address existing structures unless a building is being sold, repurposed, or undergoing an extensive remodel in excess of 25% of a building’s value. One current state law does require seismic upgrades in one sector: critical care medical buildings.
Without similar laws, it may be a long while before the state’s older buildings are retrofitted according to current seismic best practices. Another problem the state faces is assuring the quality of retrofit contractors. There has been some discussion about state licensing for retrofit contractors, but there are no solid plans in the works to do that.
Related Stories
| Mar 8, 2012
Engineering innovation provides new option for meeting seismic codes in skyscrapers
Two University of Toronto engineers have developed “viscoelastic-energy-dissipating dampers” to replace many of the heavy concrete beams used in tall structures.
| Mar 8, 2012
CSI webinar on building code compliance March 22
A March 22 webinar will provide an overview of a 28-step process during the design of a building to ensure compliance with building codes.
| Mar 8, 2012
Federal silica dust rule caught in bureaucratic limbo
A federal rule meant to protect the lungs of workers has been caught in bureaucratic purgatory for more than a year.
| Mar 8, 2012
New LEED-EBOM rating has requirements for specific project types
Several key changes are proposed for the LEED-EBOM Rating System in 2012.
| Mar 8, 2012
Green buildings more resilient than conventionally built structures
A new study by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning suggests that structures built to green standards can advance building resiliency.
| Mar 1, 2012
LEED Platinum standard likely to mean net-zero energy by 2018
As LEED standards continue to rise, the top level, LEED Platinum, will likely mean net-zero energy construction by 2018.
| Mar 1, 2012
EPA beefs up stormwater discharge rule from construction projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now finalized its 2012 construction general permit (CGP) that authorizes stormwater discharges from construction projects that disturb one or more acres of land in the areas where EPA is the permitting authority.
| Mar 1, 2012
Regulators investigate structural failures during construction of two Ohio casinos
Regulators with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the city of Cincinnati are investigatingthe collapse of the second floor of Cincinnati's Horseshoe Casino as workers were pouring concrete.
| Mar 1, 2012
Is your project too small for LEED? Consider other green standards
There are many other recognized national, state and local programs that offer a variety of best management practices and sustainable design, construction and operating strategies.