“earthquake Prone Structures”
Posted by Quake Focus on June 4th, 2010
When considering building your structure, whether it is a house or a multi-story office building, an owner, architect, engineer, and contractor should consider the “earthquake prone structures”. The reason for this is: knowing the weak buildings (”earthquake prone structures”) and their materials will help to make wise decision to build that future project in mind. Let us know look in to the “right way” of building…
Structural Frame
Apart from what we have in our structures today, a research was done by structural engineer Englekirk Partners of Los Angeles, analyzing this study, by the name of C4 (for the state’s Carpenter/Contractor Cooperation Committee), the reinforced moment frames designed rigid at beam-column connections and flexible in beam or column mid-span, Englekirk developed structural core of moment-resisting columns and beams that can withstand seismic forces. For general information, the mid-spands act as hinges within the steel reinforcement, allowing a structural frame core to move a little during an earthquake. “It has no conventional core,” said Lawrence Ho, an Englekirk principal. “It’s a moment frame pulled to the core of the structure, which is not a very traditional design. But once we compared it to shear wall and dual-moment framed/shear wall systems, we found it was the most effective approach.” Using such pseudo-core system reduces size perimeter of structural columns.
Precast Shear Walls in Seismic Zones
A new way for designing precast concrete shear wall in high seismic zones has been introduced in the 2003 edition of “Recommended Provisions for Seismic Regulations for New Buildings and Other Structures” produced by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). The system features a no emulative design of precast, prestressed shear walls that have distinct advantages during an earthquake. This new system is built on previous knowledge of shear walls capability of withstanding seismic activities by what’s called “tuning”, jointed walls to lengthen the structural period and reduce the design base shear forces. Vertical unbounded post-tensioning to resist overturning in the wall system is used instead of limiting lateral loads. For panel to panel connections, the elastic capacity of the post-tensioning system works quite well in such events…
“Earthquake prone structures” was part of the research that the owner, who is considering building-especially in high seismic zones, must consider before choosing structural methods and materials…
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“Earthquake Prone Structures”
Paul Peshkov is a general contractor/business developer. As a favorite hobby, Mr. Peshkov is extensively involved in studying alternative medicine. He enjoys helping people reach their full potential in life. For more information on his latest developments visit his website http://www.PaulPeshkov.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Peshkov
An Assessment of the Consequences and Preparations for a Catastrophic California Earthquake: Findings and Actions Taken Prepared By Federal Emergency Management Agency
Posted by Quake Focus on May 31st, 2010
8.8 Magnitude Earthquake Shifts Earth’s Axis
Posted by Quake Focus on May 31st, 2010
Every earthquake has some unique characteristics to it because of the location, depth, and intensity. The Haiti 7.0 magnitude earthquake will be remembered for the massive devastation of life (200,000 killed?) and total destruction of a city (Port-au-Prince). The five hundred fold in power 8.8 earthquake in Chile only killed some 800 people; however, it was so powerful it shortened our day here on earth!
If the web bot linguisitcs are right and we have SIX earthquakes (7.0 and greater) after July 1st, how much of an impact could they have on world economics? What would happen to the digital world if one hits India and one hits between Taiwan and Japan? Who knows? Who can imagine?
Who wants to?
Scientists now believe that the earthquake in Chile on Feb. 27 probably shifted the Earth’s axis and shortened the day, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientist said. Earthquakes can involve shifting hundreds of kilometers of rock by several meters, changing the distribution of mass on the planet. This affects the Earth’s rotation, said Richard Gross, a geophysicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, who uses a computer model to calculate the effects.
Who knows this stuff anyway? 
“The length of the day should have gotten shorter by 1.26 microseconds (millionths of a second), and the axis about which the Earth’s mass is balanced should have moved by 2.7 milliarcseconds (about 8 centimeters or 3 inches),” Gross said. So don’t worry, you’ll not notice any difference and you’ll still get paid the same wages each week.
Islands may have shifted, according to Andreas Rietbrock, a professor of Earth Sciences at the U.K.’s Liverpool University who has studied the area impacted, though not since the latest temblor. Santa Maria Island off the coast near Concepcion, Chile’s second-largest city, may have been raised 2 meters (6 feet) as a result of the latest quake, Rietbrock said today in a telephone interview. He said the rocks there show evidence pointing to past earthquakes shifting the island upward in the past.
So, who says they aren’t creating more real estate?
“It’s what we call the ice-skater effect,” David Kerridge, head of Earth hazards and systems at the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, said. “As the ice skater puts when she’s going around in a circle, and she pulls her arms in, she gets faster and faster. It’s the same idea with the Earth going around if you change the distribution of mass, the rotation rate changes.”
The magnitude 9.1 Sumatran in 2004 that generated an Indian Ocean tsunami shortened the day by 6.8 microseconds and shifted the axis by about 2.3 milliarcseconds to put the Chile quake into perspective. What we know is that the earth is going through some changes that we have no idea about or answers. Is this a build up or a precursor to some 2012 prophecies?
Stay tuned!
On a Torn-Away World Or, the Captives of the Great Earthquake
Posted by Quake Focus on May 29th, 2010
16 Tons Of Fresh Oranges From Central Valley Packing House Sent To
Posted by Quake Focus on May 29th, 2010
The images of the tremendously devastating disaster and enormously large loss of lives from the earthquake in Haiti in the middle of January of this year were still vividly fresh in the minds of many people around the world when a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Republic of Chile early Saturday morning, the 27th of February. That quake was followed by a long string of unexpectedly powerful aftershocks that continued to jolt the people of the Republic of Chile.
Although Chileans have experienced numerous violent tremors in the past, as their country lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” it has never been possible to predict when or how powerful the next tremor will be. The 8.8 magnitude earthquake on February 27th was the biggest quake to hit Chile in the last fifty years. According to a report from the U.S. Geological Survey, the City of Concepcion, a coastal city, was hit most severely.
To date, the Chilean government has reported that the February 27th earthquake and the aftershocks have killed 214 people, injured or displaced about 2,000,000 people, and damaged approximately 500,000 homes. On Friday, March 12th, Chile’s newly elected President, Sebastian Pinera, declared the total quake damage was about $30 billion.
Along with people of many nations around the world, many Americans have continued to help the victims of the Haitian earthquake. Many of them, now, have also turn their efforts to assisting the victims of the recent Chilean quake.
Without any connection in Chile, and about six thousand miles away from Santiago, a resident of Clovis, California, Mr. Richard Sullivan, thought that sweet Navel oranges from the Central Valley would be a welcomed fruit in the earthquake zone, as the oranges would not only provide needed nutrition to the victims of the earthquake but would be appreciated for their delicious sweetness as well as their cheery color.
So Sullivan set up a Navel Orange Donation Plan for the Chilean Quake Relief. Using his expertise as a Cold Storage Manager for a Central California fruit packing house, Bravante Produce, in Reedley, he coordinated the joint effort, secured donations not only for the fruit but for the logistics necessary to get the fruit delivered to the City of Concepcion, the most quake-damaged city in Chile.
Sixteen tons of fresh sweet Navel oranges were donated by Mr. George Bravante, a Central California citrus grower who owns Bravante Produce. The packing materials were donated by Mid-Valley Packaging in Fowler, California. The oranges were packed into bins and loaded into a forty-foot ocean container by the employees of Bravante Produce on Thursday, March 13th. Empty plastic mesh bags were included with each bin to facilitate distribution of the oranges upon their arrival in Chile.
Mr. Frank Gomez, who is President of Yamko Truck Lines, donated a truck and driver to take the oranges to the Port of Long Beach, California. The sea container and the shipping of the container by ocean vessel were donated by NYK Cool Ocean Freight Company. Freight booking and coordination were donated by Inchcape Shipping Services.
The 16 tons of Navel oranges were scheduled to leave the Port of Long Beach on Monday, March 15th, and to arrive in Santiago, Chile, on Friday, March 26th. Sullivan said that once the oranges reached Port Valparaiso, the Chilean Navy will transport them to the City of Concepcion.
Sullivan emphasized that the oranges been donated to the earthquake victims in Chile go through a close inspection from the California Department of Food & Agriculture, just as if they were being sent to the markets in the United States.
There is no doubt that this donation of 16 tons of fresh oranges from the Central Valley of California is one example among many of a thoughtful, compassionate and caring response by a small group of private American citizens to the needs of strangers thousands of miles way who suffer from a devastating natural disaster.
What a sweet donation for Chilean Quake Relief!
Source: www.ExperienceClovis.com Copyright © 2010 JoAnne Green. Do not republish or repost text without written permission. Do not extract quotes without proper credit. Plagiarism is a crime.
Do you need Earthquake Renter’s Insurance?
Posted by Quake Focus on May 28th, 2010
Earthquake renter’s insurance is a very valuable thing. Unfortunately, it’s not the first thing that usually crosses the minds of renters. If renters have coverage, it usually protects their belongings against fires and other common disasters and protects them from being sued by other tenants for damages to other apartments and their contents. It also likely provides some insurance against theft. Insurance policies, however, are very specific things and one coverage will not automatically cover the damages caused by forces outside its scope. If you live in an earthquake-prone area, you should consider this coverage.
If there’s an earthquake at your apartment building, your landlord may well be shielded from any damage to your belongings by your lease. There are few landlords who will take any responsibility for such events. This means that tenants are on their own. If you want your possessions protected against the damage that can be caused by seismic events, you have to have earthquake renter’s insurance. There’s no other way to get any form of reimbursement for your losses in the event of an earthquake, and those losses can be substantial.
If your building is made unsafe by the event, you’ll have to find somewhere else to live in addition to repurchasing all of your belongings. Some policies can offer coverage for the expenses associated with being displaced. You should consider whether or not you realistically have the resources to take care of yourself in the aftermath of such an event and, if you do not, you should have this type of coverage. You may need it from a separate source, but you want to make very certain that you take these disasters as seriously as they merit. Recent earthquakes should be enough to convince you of how much damage these events can cause.
Earthquake renter’s insurance, to top it all off, is very cheap. When it comes down to it, insurance companies aren’t taking much of a risk with renters. Renters, typically, have far fewer possessions to replace than do homeowners, and rates generally reflect this. For the renter themselves, however, the loss of all of their possessions would be a disaster. In an earthquake, this can happen in seconds. You’ll have to rebuild after one of these events and, if you have good insurance, you’ll have some help getting back on your feet and back to your life.
Hulk Hogan tribute: Brother Love Show Earthquake attacks Hulk Hogan custom
Posted by Quake Focus on May 28th, 2010
Hulk Hogan tribute: Brother Love Show Earthquake attacks Hulk Hogan custom Video Read the rest of this entry »
City of Heroes: The Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886
Posted by Quake Focus on May 24th, 2010
2009 Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami Warning – Get Prepared Now
Posted by Quake Focus on May 24th, 2010
Another earthquake has struck Indonesia and Sumatra this morning. The quake measured in at 7.9 on the Richter scale and is now feared to have produced a tsunami. There are no reports just yet of any injuries or deaths, and hopefully it will stay that way because of the preparation of the warning system for nearby residents. Being prepared is key when it comes down to natural disasters, and these last few quakes in the past 24 hours or so are examples of how important it is to be ready for any natural disaster. Experts have been saying that California is due for a large earthquake of magnitude 7.8 or bigger in the next 60 years. An earthquake of that size will surely bring a lot of harm and destruction, and the only thing we can do is prepare for it because we have no way of predicting and preventing earthquakes. A worse case would be an offshore earthquake which still produces extensive amounts of damage but then also creates a ‘mega tsunami’ which would wipe out all coastal towns and cities. The only way to prepare yourself for the mega tsunami is by having a radio alarm system or similar communication device to give adequate warning. You then simply head inland or to the highest area you can find. Tsunamis are not the only things we need to prepare for either. The world is full of natural disasters just waiting to happen. But how do we prepare ourselves?A recent trend has been growing in popularity which involves getting prepared for these usually unpredictable but deadly occurrences. In fact, most people are preparing for the predicted doomsday in December of 2012, a date that the Mayans predicted as the end of the world. They have predicted almost every natural disaster known to man kind, and these would occur all at the same time. That means one thing; get prepared now!
RANDOM EARTHQUAKE!!!!!!!!
Posted by Quake Focus on May 24th, 2010
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Read the rest of this entry »