Chile Recovers From 2010 M8.8 Earthquake
- John Cornelison
- February 9, 2011
Table of Contents
Bellevue’s MRP Engineering has a new engineering bulletin entitled Chile Recovers From 2010 M8.8 Earthquake that looks at progress made since their M8.8 earthquake February 27th, 2010. It concludes with these implications:
Chile is making headway in rebuilding its heartland following a massive subduction zone earthquake that
affected modern structures as far away as Santiago (335 km from the epicenter). However, the recovery from
a major earthquake need not be a lengthy process. Organizations with earthquake exposures can learn from
this event and should consider proactive steps to enhance safety, reduce damage, and minimize downtime.
• Review business recovery plans to include dedicated resources (contactors, suppliers, and engineers).
• For existing operations, assess earthquake risks (buildings, contents, and critical lifelines) and identify
specific areas of improvement relative to safety and business risks.
• For proposed construction, perform independent design reviews to verify the desired seismic
performance. Building codes tend to focus on occupant safety rather than limiting damage in a major
earthquake.
• Verify seismic restraint of equipment and contents. This is a cost-effective method of loss control.
Vashon Island Fire and Rescues offers Friends and Family CPR classes to community members who would like to learn or brush up on basic skills to save a life with CPR.
