Press Release

L'Aquila, Italy Earthquake Findings - Final Journal Entry

Structural and earthquake engineers report on their findings after investigating the April 6, 2009, M6.3 L'Aquila, Italy earthquake that killed 300 people and destroyed many modern and ancient buildings. The direct damage is currently estimated at $16 billion. Our earthquake reconnaissance journal can be viewed at www.miyamotointernational.com.

Even though this was a moderate size earthquake, major damage was observed in buildings with non-ductile concrete, soft story, unreinforced masonry, and new construction. Non-structural elements such as suspended ceilings and infill brick walls failed. This failure mode shut down operations at a large modern hospital - when the community needed it most. Falling infill walls and ceilings would have killed many college students in the hill-top engineering school we visited. Many new precasted concrete buildings failed in this earthquake. The buildings simply had inadequate seismic design. If the earthquake had been a little stronger, many of this building type would have collapsed. For historical structures, churches were the most dangerous because of their high masonry walls, large interior spaces, bell towers and domes.

Structural deficiencies identified for both new and historical structures in Italy are found worldwide. We have experienced and will continue to experience similar structural failures. There are many older concrete structures, unreinforced masonry buildings, facilities with un-braced non-structural elements, and inadequate earthquake engineering. Historical structures should be strengthened to protect our heritage and culture. Strengthening is so much more cost effective than post earthquake repair. It also saves lives. Public and private sector earthquake risk reduction is essential to reduce both human and financial catastrophes.

Global Risk Miyamoto is a joint venture formed by Global Risk Consultants, the worldwide leader in unbundled property loss control, and Miyamoto International, one of the largest structural engineering firms in California. The company was formed specifically to provide corporations and public agencies with accurately quantified site-specific risk identification and loss expectancies resulting from natural hazard perils such as earthquakes, windstorms, hurricanes, typhoons, and floods.

Miyamoto International provides structural, earthquake and wind engineering services related to the design and strengthening of buildings. Project sectors include: seismic evaluation and retrofit, education, commercial, civic, corporate, healthcare and infrastructure. With six offices on the west coast and international offices in Tokyo, Japan, and Istanbul, Turkey, Miyamoto International is one of the largest structural engineering firms in the United States.

 

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For more information, contact:
Rhonda Bly, 213-362-7778
rbly@miyamotointernational.com
or
Kit Miyamoto, 916-373-1995
kmiyamoto@miyamotointernational.com

www.miyamotointernational.com