October 31, 2007
SF and Daly City: Scarier than Halloween: Earthquakes
Tuesday’s 5.6 earthquake is a less than gentle reminder that Bay Area residents live on top of several fault lines. And fault lines shift. Homeowners, prospective homeowners, and renters alike have reason to wonder if their homes are safe. Resources to draw on include”Liquefaction Maps” which highlight areas most likely to liquify in a large earthquake. These maps can help you chose homes which are built on land less vulnerable to such a terrifying phenomenon.
Another resource, perhaps one to help your home not become liquid at all (yes, please?), is the foundation upon which your home rests. Many homes on the market today include reinforced foundations that are retro-fitted for seismic safety. This improvement is in fact a major selling point, and one you should consider when selling or buying.
Concrete and steel in foundations and construction are among two of the strongest, most reliable materials for durability. Studies show that “Homes built with reinforced concrete walls have a record of surviving earthquakes intact, structurally sound and largely unblemished,” and that ”the combination of concrete and steel provides the three most important properties for earthquake resistance: stiffness, strength, and ductility”:
(Source: http://www.cement.org/homes/brief10.asp)
Want some strength in your foundation? Stay tuned: I’ll be posting some current listings that offer concrete, steel, or a combination of the two; such construction is your best defense against one of the Bay Area’s major faults: its fault lines.
Photo credit: http://www.laughingsquid.com
Sue said:
Your comment on foundation durability in earthquake country is so true. It goes right along with my previous blogs regarding the different types of foundations and what to look for in homes built before earthquake codes were put into place. I will post more on this too. The recent earthquake is a good reminder!
October 31, 2007 8:03 AM
Sue said:
Another earthquake-related comment: I am a native Californian, lived here my whole life, and yet when an earthquake happens I just sit/stand there to ’see if it gets worse’ instead of running for a doorway or cover? What’s with that? All other natural disasters you know it’s going to get worse so you run! The only time I remembered to head for cover during an earthquake was the one in 1989. I was at work and dove under my desk bonking my head on the desk…the only injury I sustained. Oh well!
October 31, 2007 8:09 AM
anna.hibble said:
anna said:
I think we are kind of used to a little shake-shake and then nothing. We are maybe spoiled in that way since although we don’t get warning, like a serious hurricane gives to those in its path, we do get a lot more “oh, big deal” type experiences. When it gets big, like it did in ‘89 (I remember it well), we stop with that curious wait-and-see attitude pretty fast.
Myself, I was just a kid- 15 maybe? Less? But I got my dogs under my arms and stood in the hallway doorway, away from all windows, and watched our cupboards open up, pouring food, glasses, booze into jagged piles. Seemed to go on forever. When it stopped, my first move was to turn off the circuit breaker and gas, as my parents had taught me, and I did that even as the big after shocks were coming.
Something about the way the waves feel under your feet: you can kind of hear them…do you know what I mean? They tell you if they will get bigger or not. Sorry if that sounds weird. Must be the Navajo in me.
October 31, 2007 11:26 AM