MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16TH
EERI: Victoria Costello - 510/451-0905; Victoria@eeri.org
On October 16th contact: 415-505-0867
City of Berkeley: David Burruto - 510/981-7003
Oakland, CA - The October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake provided the wake-up call, but not everybody heard it. Two that heard it loud and clear are the City of Berkeley and the University of California, Berkeley. With geologists and seismologists advising they sit atop one of the SF Bay area's most threatening and active faults - the Hayward - officials of UC Berkeley and the City of Berkeley are engaged in the most extensive seismic reinforcing programs undertaken anywhere. To assess progress made since 1989 and problems remaining in Berkeley (illustrative of earthquake risks still present in most other Bay Area counties), two press briefings and a seismic walking tour take place this Thursday, October 16th. These events have been organized by the Northern California Chapter of Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) as part of its four year, Quake '06 Campaign.
Thursday's first briefing begins at 10am at UC Berkeley in the lobby of Hearst Memorial Mining building. Immediately afterwards, there will be a guided one-hour seismic tour of several locations on campus and in the City of Berkeley. The day's events conclude with a second briefing at 11:30 am, in the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center (2180 Milvia Street, Fifth Floor, Berkeley) with remarks by Mayor Tom Bates. There will be shuttles to the Berkeley campus beginning at 9:30 am , leaving from the rear of the Civic Center, where limited parking will be available.
At the 10:00 am briefing, experts from the California Geological Survey and UC Berkeley Seismological Lab will review and interpret the latest earthquake forecasts, e.g. the 62% probability of at least one major quake somewhere in the Bay Area before 2032. They'll explain why scientists believe the Hayward-Rodgers Creek fault is the likeliest earthquake scenario to occur over the next few decades and describe the most recent seismic activity on this fault.
University officials and earthquake engineers will point out recently completed seismic retrofit and new buildings that highlight the latest strengthening techniques. First of these is the Hearst Mining Building, an historic preservation project that uses innovative, base isolation techniques. Nearby, the Stanley Biosciences and Bioengineering Facility, currently under construction, utilizes new performance-based engineering technologies designed to provide a higher level of performance that will protect the safety of critical bioengineering research projects. At Memorial Glade, the underground Doe Library stacks offer a view of construction designed to secure a building's contents against both earthquake shaking and fire. Finally, on the edge of campus, the tour will feature an external bracing system used on University Hall.
In downtown Berkeley, Thursday's guided seismic tour includes stops at Berkeley High School and the new public library, and concludes by 11:30 am at the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center (Pepperwood Conference Room, Fifth Floor, 2180 Milvia Street, Fifth Floor, Berkeley).
In the 11:30 am briefing, Mayor Tom Bates and Chief of Staff Arietta Chakos will discuss how - in both good and bad economic times -- their city has managed to rebuild every public school, fire station and most major city buildings, including the Civic Center, and to construct the new Tsukamoto Public Safety Building (a base-isolated facility). The city has also offered resources, fee waivers and tax incentives that have resulted in safety improvements in approximately 60 percent of the single-family homes in the community.
Individuals representing engineering firms involved with construction and retrofits, officials from the University program, city departments, and members of the Northern California Chapter of EERI will make remarks at each of the briefings and are available for interviews.
Full agendas for EERI's 10am and 11:30am media briefings are attached and will be available online at www.eeri.org and www.quake06.org starting Wed. October 15th. Maps, photographs and technical background sheets on the cited buildings on campus and in the city will be available at both briefings.
The Northern CA Chapter of Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) is halfway through its four-year Quake '06 Campaign, a volunteer effort by earthquake professionals to stimulate reduction in the Bay Area's earthquake risk by the 100th Anniversary of the San Francisco 1906 earthquake. Campaign leaders provide a progress report to the media twice annually, on April 18th and October 17th, respectively, the anniversaries of the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes.
The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) is a national, nonprofit, technical society of engineers, geoscientists, architects, planners, public officials, and social scientists working to reduce earthquake risk by advancing the science and practice of earthquake engineering, by improving understanding of the impact of earthquakes on the physical, social, economic, political and cultural environment, and by advocating comprehensive and realistic measures for reducing the harmful effects of earthquakes.
EERI 499 14th Street, Ste. 320 Oakland, CA 94612
Tel (510) 451-0905 ~ Fax (510) 451-5411
Website: www.eeri.org