Buildings vulnerable to seism must be evaluated periodically

The name of Marin County, which is located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, is not new to anybody. The county is well off and is much-admired for its natural beauty, liberal politics, affluence and a strong New Age reputation. However only a few people do know that several school buildings in the region fail to comply with the requirements of the seismic safety. It may be that you are one of them also.

This starling revelation has come to the fore owing to a new report by the Marin Civil Grand Jury. The report states emphatically, that at the least 71 school buildings in Marin County do not meet the most stringent state guidelines for seismic safety. Are these buildings too vulnerable to any such temblor? Well, the situation is not so shocking as well and this has been the popular perceptions of both the grand jury, the Division of the State Architect and Marin school officials.

It should also be noted (as stated by the grand jury report) that other than meeting the requirements of the Field Act, a 1933 state law that set high seismic standards for public schools, none of Marin’s school buildings has experienced structural cracks or damage during the last half century of earthquake activity. “In general, we were told that the buildings identified as Category 2 are believed to be structurally sound and most have been inspected many times as part of renovation and modernization work, although none has been subjected to a comprehensive seismic evaluation,” the report says.

What is the most ideal task therefore? The pertinent management committees of the school must get aware of or know where their school buildings stand in the state’s rankings. As per the report, districts whose schools do not meet the state’s guidelines must undertake a $10,000 to $30,000 seismic evaluation. Though this is a tough advice especially when the whole country is reeling under the pressure of downturn, this should be done in any way.

Before I go, any district must do the same if there is any such recommendation. Remember the earth is no longer safe.