If there is a massive earthquake in Los Angeles, will the old buildings downtown be safe?
Feb 14, 2010
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Earthquake Questions
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5 comments
Perro De Lava on February 14, 2010 at 4:36 am
Depends on what you mean by "massive". After a certain magnitude no building new or old is safe. I forget what magnitude this is. It’s up in the 7.5 and up range.
All buildings which involve the public such as those in downtown have been retrofitted to withstand up to a certain magnitude earthquake.
The negative for many of the old buildings in this city especially downtown is that they are made of brick. Brick and earthquakes do not mix. All we can do is to try to bring them up to code as best we can and this was done years ago.
Myth_Understood on February 14, 2010 at 4:36 am
Most of the newer buildings will be safe.
The real threat comes not from falling buildings, but from power lines, falling debris like broken windows coming from 50 floors up, from gas leaks and subsequent fires, from road failures that would cause devastating chain-reaction pile-ups and from bridge collapses like the ones we had to live with in Newhall and West LA from the last big one in 1994. The real danger comes from infrastructure problems more than anything.
By one estimate, some areas of Downtown will have 3 feet of broken glass on the ground following a major quake, because of all the windows that would break.
Most if not all of the older buildings have been retro-fitted with steel beams, and reinforced with rebar and concrete to bring them up to code so that they would withstand a major quake. I’m sure that there would be some that wouldn’t be able to withstand a bigger one, but the majority should be able to.
copestir on February 14, 2010 at 4:36 am
We have been told if they are retrofitted they will be ok. My own belief is we will see.
Your Friendly Jewish Accountant on February 14, 2010 at 4:36 am
We’re already had two massive earthquakes and what is left is safe.
West of Encino on February 14, 2010 at 4:36 am
if the big one comes nothing you can do about it.. even if the building was built last year, it could collapse.