by Rebecca Walker — January 19, 2009—Modern steel buildings have long been considered among the most sturdy in the event of a major earthquake. But a model of a massive quake in Southern California has sparked debate among scientists and engineers over whether these structures are more vulnerable than previously thought.
The Great Southern California ShakeOut, the nation’s largest quake drill, suggested that about five high-rise steel buildings in the Los Angeles area would collapse in the modeled magnitude 7.8 quake, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.
High-rise steel buildings sustained less damage than unreinforced brick buildings and older concrete buildings in the analysis. But the damage they sustained was greater than expected based on the standard building design formulas, said the article.
“It has huge implications,” said Lucile Jones, a U.S. Geological Survey seismologist who served as chief scientist for the ShakeOut project. “When these types of buildings collapse, we could have 1,000 people in them. That’s something to worry about.”
The findings come 14 years after the Northridge earthquake, which exposed weaknesses in some older steel buildings.
