] [Thread] [Date] [Author]

["Scott, William N" <William.N.Scott(--nospam--at)conocophillips.com>]

Ralph,

 

If I remember correctly, Northridge and Loma Pieta showed us that our codes and engineering are not perfect. These quakes were a short 15-sec.

 

Bill

 

 

---

From: Rhkratzse(--nospam--at)aol.com [mailto:Rhkratzse(--nospam--at)aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 12:45 PM
To: Scott, William N; seaint(--nospam--at)seaint.org
Subject: Re: "It's not in our culture"

Bill, I do realize that many Italian buildings are way old, 
and that many of them would be very expensive to retrofit.  That said, if 
your kids were in an obviously fragile old school building would you want your 
officials telling you that "fixing them, and thus saving your children's lives, 
is just not in our culture"??  

About 5 years ago I went to an 
exhibit in San Francisco of some very flashy, high-tech analysis and retrofit 
designs for just such old stone structures, giving the impression that they were 
addressing this subject.  Now I find that "it isn't in our culture," which 
rather surprises me. 

The problem with "knowing the risk and accepting 
it" is that the knowers and acceptors are seldom the ones who suffer the 
consequences.  Sort of like the Big Shot Financiers driving our economy to 
ruin and bailing out with multimillion-dollar bonuses.  

Bet none of 
the guys who made a killing (so to speak) on the improperly constructed newish 
school that collapsed had any of their own kids in it.  They never 
do.  

Lastly, I do recognize that the guy who made the comment -- 
Enzo Boschi, president of the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology 
(wow, they have their own institute?!) -- is only one person, and he is probably 
very sorry he opened his mouth, true though his statement may be. 

Ralph 
Hueston Kratz, S.E.
Richmond CA USA 

In a message dated 4/8/09 9:22:30 
AM, William.N.Scott(--nospam--at)conocophillips.com writes:
> You need to realize that many buildings in these 
>   towns were 1000-years old or more. Renovations to these structures would 
>   damage the charm and would be expensive.
>  
> Italians know the seismic risk and can chose to 
>   accept them.
>  
> Bill


From: 
Rhkratzse(--nospam--at)aol.com [mailto:Rhkratzse(--nospam--at)aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 7:12 AM
To: seaint(--nospam--at)seaint.org
Subject: 
"It's not in our culture"

As reported by AP/ENR, an Italian government official stated 
that  "It's not in our culture to construct buildings the right way in a 
quake zone - that is, build buildings that can resist (quakes) and retrofit old 
ones. This has never been done."

They say you get a mule to do what you 
want by first getting its attention by hitting it on the head with a 2x4.  
I would think that had already been done in Italy's case, by past devastating 
earthquakes, but I guess not.

Ralph



**************
Worried about job 
security? Check out the 5 safest jobs in a recession. 
(http://jobs.aol.com/gallery/growing-job-industries?ncid=emlcntuscare00000003)