October 2, 2017
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| Marc Eberhard | Jeffrey Berman |
In light of recent earthquakes, such as the Mexico earthquake that killed hundreds of people in September, CEE faculty members Marc Eberhard and Jeffrey Berman, together with HCDE senior scientist Scott Miles, urge Seattle residents to find a way to make older buildings safer.
“As earthquake engineers, we see the failure to address the well-known vulnerabilities of older, brick buildings (unreinforced masonry) and brittle reinforced concrete construction. These heavy and brittle older buildings lack the strength and details necessary to prevent collapse in large earthquakes. The images from Mexico also remind us of society’s responsibility to protect its most vulnerable members, including children and those without the economic resources to improve the safety of the buildings in which they live.”