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State Reinforces New Earthquake Safety Measures Sacramento - California is a world leader in seismic safety building codes and enforcement infrastructure. Since 2001, California has instituted ground-breaking building codes to better mitigate seismic risks, incorporating major revisions to the seismic design requirements following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and including significant increases – up to 50 percent – in the earthquake design loads for buildings in close proximity to active faults. As the worldwide series of earthquakes continue, it has become evident that not only can superior building codes save lives, but also strong building code enforcement infrastructure can significantly reduce the number of casualties and lower property loss in a catastrophic event. “Living in California, we are constantly reminded that seismic activity is a risk—earthquake or tsunami,” said State and Consumer Services Secretary Bill Leonard. “The best way to mitigate the potential damage of such activity is through superior building codes, education, and public awareness. The Governor should be proud of what his administration has accomplished to mitigate the catastrophic risks of earthquakes.” “In the wake of the devastating damage caused in Haiti and Chile and by the Tsunami in Indonesia, it’s critical that California does all it can to be prepared,” said Richard McCarthy, Executive Officer of the Seismic Safety Commission. “By joining forces with the Building Standards Commission and developing a stringent and complete earthquake safety building standards code, we will be better prepared for future catastrophic seismic events.” For commercial and residential buildings, California provides an enforcement infrastructure for code compliance that is one of the strongest in the world for public schools and hospitals, and includes the testing of building materials and continuous inspection. The 2010 California Building Code will be implemented January 1, 2011 and will include enhanced earthquake protection standards by refining a number of design seismic forces in different regions of the state. “The 2010 California Building Code takes huge strides for earthquake protection in this state,” said Dave Walls, Executive Director of the California Building Standards Commission. “Not only does this code include some of the strictest building standards in the world, it also allows for cities and counties to amend the codes to reflect the immediate needs in their region. The building standards will continue to improve and reflect the safest conditions for the people of this state.” Source: California State and Consumer Services Agency |
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