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Practical Lessons from the Loma Prieta Earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco area on October 17, 1989, causing 63 deaths and $10 billion worth of damage. This book reviews existing research on the Loma Prieta quake and draws from it practical lessons that could be applied to other earthquake-prone areas of the country. The volume contains seven keynote papers presented at a symposium on the earthquake and includes an overview written by the committee offering recommendations to improve seismic safety and earthquake awareness in parts of the country susceptible to earthquakes.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
3 people want to read
About the author
National Research Council
6,245 books43 followersThe National Research Council (NRC) functions under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The NAS, NAE, IOM, and NRC are part of a private, nonprofit institution that provides science, technology and health policy advice under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln that was originally granted to the NAS in 1863. Under this charter, the NRC was established in 1916, the NAE in 1964, and the IOM in 1970. The four organizations are collectively referred to as the National Academies.
The mission of the NRC is to improve government decision making and public policy, increase public education and understanding, and promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in matters involving science, engineering, technology, and health. The institution takes this charge seriously and works to inform policies and actions that have the power to improve the lives of people in the U.S. and around the world.
The NRC is committed to providing elected leaders, policy makers, and the public with expert advice based on sound scientific evidence. The NRC does not receive direct federal appropriations for its work. Individual projects are funded by federal agencies, foundations, other governmental and private sources, and the institution’s endowment. The work is made possible by 6,000 of the world’s top scientists, engineers, and other professionals who volunteer their time without compensation to serve on committees and participate in activities. The NRC is administered jointly by the NAS, NAE, and the IOM through the NRC Governing Board.
The core services involve collecting, analyzing, and sharing information and knowledge. The independence of the institution, combined with its unique ability to convene experts, allows it to be responsive to a host of requests.
The portfolio of activities includes:
* Consensus Studies: These comprehensive reports focus on major policy issues and provide recommendations for solving complex problems.
* Expert Meetings and Workshops: By convening symposia, workshops, meetings, and roundtables, the NRC connects professionals as well as the interested public and stimulates dialogue on diverse matters.
* Program and Research Management: At the request of state and federal agencies, the NRC manages and evaluates research programs, conducts program assessments, and reviews proposals.
* Fellowships: The NRC administers several postdoctoral fellowship programs.
Free Scientific Information: Publishing more than 200 reports and related publications each year, the institution is one of the largest providers of free scientific and technical information in the world. Most of it is now on the Web at www.nap.edu.
The mission of the NRC is to improve government decision making and public policy, increase public education and understanding, and promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in matters involving science, engineering, technology, and health. The institution takes this charge seriously and works to inform policies and actions that have the power to improve the lives of people in the U.S. and around the world.
The NRC is committed to providing elected leaders, policy makers, and the public with expert advice based on sound scientific evidence. The NRC does not receive direct federal appropriations for its work. Individual projects are funded by federal agencies, foundations, other governmental and private sources, and the institution’s endowment. The work is made possible by 6,000 of the world’s top scientists, engineers, and other professionals who volunteer their time without compensation to serve on committees and participate in activities. The NRC is administered jointly by the NAS, NAE, and the IOM through the NRC Governing Board.
The core services involve collecting, analyzing, and sharing information and knowledge. The independence of the institution, combined with its unique ability to convene experts, allows it to be responsive to a host of requests.
The portfolio of activities includes:
* Consensus Studies: These comprehensive reports focus on major policy issues and provide recommendations for solving complex problems.
* Expert Meetings and Workshops: By convening symposia, workshops, meetings, and roundtables, the NRC connects professionals as well as the interested public and stimulates dialogue on diverse matters.
* Program and Research Management: At the request of state and federal agencies, the NRC manages and evaluates research programs, conducts program assessments, and reviews proposals.
* Fellowships: The NRC administers several postdoctoral fellowship programs.
Free Scientific Information: Publishing more than 200 reports and related publications each year, the institution is one of the largest providers of free scientific and technical information in the world. Most of it is now on the Web at www.nap.edu.
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November 7, 2014
In 1994, the National Research Council (NRC) and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) jointly sponsored a symposium to highlight the results of research undertaken in the five years since the October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The result is Practical Lessons from the Loma Prieta Earthquake, a collection of the keynote papers presented during the conference along with the comments of some of the other presenters.
The stated goal of the conference was to bring to light a summary of the findings of hundreds of researchers pursuing dozens of studies so that the information could be passed on to the engineers, building officials, and government agencies charged with mitigating the effects of the next earthquake. The seven papers collected in Practical Lessons cover geotechnical issues, building performance, emergency preparedness and response, lifeline damage, transportation infrastructure, and recovery and mitigation.
As you might expect from a collection of parts, the different papers vary widely in intent, focus, tone and readability. Several elaborate on issues raised in Auf der Heide’s Disaster Response. While all focus on the Loma Prieta experience, most attempt to broaden the applicability of the findings to earthquakes throughout the region.
Perhaps the most useful studies are those most mindful that laypeople are their ultimate audience. Chapter 4, “Emergency Preparedness and Response,” examines the causes of injuries, the reactions of people to the shaking, the role of volunteers, local emergency services performance and other nuts-and-bolts issues of great importance to local emergency managers. Chapter 7, “Recovery, Mitigation and Planning,” surveys the effectiveness of state and federal assistance programs and the effects of the general lack of planning on the overall recovery effort. Both are written in very readable language and are blessedly free of academic cant or technical wizardry.
At the other end of the spectrum are the extremely technical examinations of the earthquake’s geotechnical effects, building performance and highway bridge design issues. All three of these chapters hold interesting nuggets of information, but require a lengthy slog through very dense prose that's largely irrelevant to the nonspecialist reader.
Practical Lessons isn't a pleasure read; it's meant for people who do this for a living. If those people live in earthquake country, they should read it. If you're a nonspecialist looking for some light reading about earthquakes, keep going; there are other books out there for you.
The stated goal of the conference was to bring to light a summary of the findings of hundreds of researchers pursuing dozens of studies so that the information could be passed on to the engineers, building officials, and government agencies charged with mitigating the effects of the next earthquake. The seven papers collected in Practical Lessons cover geotechnical issues, building performance, emergency preparedness and response, lifeline damage, transportation infrastructure, and recovery and mitigation.
As you might expect from a collection of parts, the different papers vary widely in intent, focus, tone and readability. Several elaborate on issues raised in Auf der Heide’s Disaster Response. While all focus on the Loma Prieta experience, most attempt to broaden the applicability of the findings to earthquakes throughout the region.
Perhaps the most useful studies are those most mindful that laypeople are their ultimate audience. Chapter 4, “Emergency Preparedness and Response,” examines the causes of injuries, the reactions of people to the shaking, the role of volunteers, local emergency services performance and other nuts-and-bolts issues of great importance to local emergency managers. Chapter 7, “Recovery, Mitigation and Planning,” surveys the effectiveness of state and federal assistance programs and the effects of the general lack of planning on the overall recovery effort. Both are written in very readable language and are blessedly free of academic cant or technical wizardry.
At the other end of the spectrum are the extremely technical examinations of the earthquake’s geotechnical effects, building performance and highway bridge design issues. All three of these chapters hold interesting nuggets of information, but require a lengthy slog through very dense prose that's largely irrelevant to the nonspecialist reader.
Practical Lessons isn't a pleasure read; it's meant for people who do this for a living. If those people live in earthquake country, they should read it. If you're a nonspecialist looking for some light reading about earthquakes, keep going; there are other books out there for you.
Displaying 1 of 1 review