History doesn't always stand still: earthquake preparedness and preservation planning in King County, Washington

Abstract

Life safety is the first concern of everyone when an earthquake strikes. Property is usually the second. Whether the property is a house, business, or workplace, people identify their lives with buildings. Some buildings take on more meaning than others— some buildings symbolize a person’s or a community’s heritage. These historic buildings are crucial to rebuilding a community's identity after a major disaster. Often, however, the age which grants the buildings their significance also makes them the most vulnerable targets for demolition. also makes them the most vulnerable targets for demolition. In the rush to restore normalcy after a community suffers the trauma of a devastating earthquake, these properties may be evaluated as too unstable or expensive to restore. Many of these buildings could be restored. Preparation may help decision making in the post quake recovery. It is imperative that preservationists and all three levels of government (federal, state, and local) work together to develop preservation planning policies for earthquakes. This thesis focuses on policy aspects of preparedness and on recovery to a certain extent. While seismic retrofitting is an important aspect of preparedness, discussion is limited to the general analysis of methods of construction and building types that are at risk for sustaining seismic damage because the topics are so closely linked.