Statement on required load combinations for wind uplift.
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Author Archives : Gwenyth R. Searer
Gwenyth R. Searer is a Principal at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. in the San Francisco office. (gsearer@wje.com)
Reconsidering Costs in Areas of Lower Seismicity
The economics of reducing seismic risk has generally received less attention in regions of lower seismicity than in higher-risk regions of the country. Though less heralded, the subject is important: what investment in risk reduction is appropriate to the extant risk? …
Earthquake engineering professionals generally recognize that unreinforced masonry buildings of most vintages pose a significant risk of collapse in strong earthquakes. Cognizant of this, the City of San Francisco enacted an ordinance that required assessment, and either upgrade or demolition, of any such building within the jurisdiction found to be deficient regardless of its historic, cultural, or aesthetic significance. Sherith Israel was one such building. The story of how it was literally saved from the wrecking ball by diligently treating seismic safety and historic preservation objectives with equal priority, and by employing a host of new technologies in concert with traditional ones to surmount technical challenges, is described herein. …
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