San Francisco has released its Tall Buildings Strategy that outlines plans for better seismic resiliency for high-rise buildings.
A city building inventory shows that 156 buildings—either existing or under construction—are taller than 240 feet. One hundred of those were built prior to modern seismic code implementation.
A report by the non-profit Applied Technology Council recommends that the city develop regulations to address foundation and geotechnical issues like those plaguing Millennium Tower. That 58-story structure has started sinking and tilting.
The report suggests that city building codes be revised to mandate lower thresholds for seismic evaluations and retrofits when existing buildings undergo renovations, or when they are sold or re-leased. In addition, the report recommends that steel-frame buildings be inspected for weld damage that might have been caused by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
Related Stories
AEC Tech | Jun 17, 2016
Driverless cars could soon start impacting commercial, retail project design
Offsite parking and more space for valet parking lines are among the foreseeable changes.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Bay State moves toward single BIM protocol on state projects
Massport’s guidelines a step forward for integrated BIM initiative.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 14, 2016
San Francisco voters approve tougher affordability requirement on new housing development
Critics charge that the measure may backfire and actually reduce new affordable units.
Concrete | Jun 13, 2016
American Concrete Institute releases new Guide to Shotcrete
Includes information on application procedures, testing.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 10, 2016
Top 10 health technology hazards include some influenced by space design
ECRI Institute’s annual list includes operational and workflow issues.
Codes and Standards | Jun 9, 2016
Supreme Court ruling could aid developers on properties containing wetlands
Unanimous decision allows landowners to take regulatory decisions straight to court.
Green | Jun 8, 2016
TD Bank Group's renovated Toronto office is first WELL-Certified project under WELL v1
The newly renovated 25,000-sf space achieved gold-level status.
Concrete | Jun 7, 2016
Concrete Institute publishes document providing concrete curing guidance
New curing monitoring techniques included.
Energy | Jun 7, 2016
Energy modeling payback typically as short as one to two months
Energy modeling is a ‘no-brainer—like checking MPG on a car’
Green | Jun 2, 2016
USGBC offers new LEED pilot credit: Building Material Human Hazard and Exposure Assessment
For assessing human health-related exposure scenarios for construction products.