Building Codes Natural Effects on our Architecture and How We Should Stop It Cassie Cowley Period 1 Address to U.S. Congress

What is the problem? Natural disasters are a problem we have no control over. They just happen. But what we do have control over is how we adapt to it.

Earthquakes One of these natural disasters, and probably the most heard of, is earthquakes. Earthquakes can destroy houses and other buildings, as well as cause other disasters like fires and tsunamis.

Kobe, Japan earthquake vs. Los Angeles, California earthquake Great Hunshin EarthquakeNorthridge Earthquake Location:Kobe, JapanLos Angeles, California, USA Date:January 17, 1995January 17, 1994 Effects on People:6,400 dead, 3,000 injured, 310,000 homeless 72 dead (mostly people on their way to work) Damage:Over $110 billion of damage$20 billion of damage The cause? In the article “Shaken, but not stirred; Tech.view: Earthquake engineering needs to rouse itself,” it is said that: “Both quakes were caused by blind up-thrusts on small local faults that had been overlooked.“

Why was the damage worse in Kobe? The main difference was that the engineering designs and building codes for the two cities. “California’s building codes require homes to be constructed with lots of stiff "shear walls" made of two-inch by four-inch timber frames braced with sheets of thick plywood. With a flat timber roof, the overall structure is remarkably light and stiff. … As a result, such structures tend to ride, rather than resist, the seismic waves during an earthquake--like a well-reefed yacht in a storm.” -- "Shaken, but not stirred; Tech.view; Earthquake engineering needs to rouse itself." However, Kobe’s houses were built for typhoons, not earthquakes, which are often more common and deadly.

Wildfires (and human-caused ones) On April 21, a wildfire spread across parts of Miami-Dade County in Florida. High temperatures and winds helped it spread, growing from a small, 100-acre gas fire to 1,850 acres in 24 hours. Fire rescue worked around the clock, road closures were being considered, and one school had been closed.

Most often we think that tsunamis only occur in places like Japan. But tsunamis and flooding can still be a big issue in the United States. One such example was the flood that took place not too long ago on Tuesday, May 26 in Texas and Oklahoma. It’s killed at least five people with twelve missing. It’s damaged at least 1,200 homes, and at least 350 are destroyed. There were flood waters more than 40 feet tall. Tsunamis and Flooding

Tornadoes Tornadoes are a devastating problem in the mid-United States, in what we call “tornado alley.” It consists of parts of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. An example of some of the devastation they have in these areas is in Moore, Oklahoma. They’ve had devastating tornadoes in 1999, 2003, and 2013, each of which have killed dozens and cost billions of dollars of damage. Over the past 25 years, they’ve suffered $30 billion of damage from tornadoes. The 1999 tornado had the highest speed ever recorded, and 36 died. The 2013 tornado killed 24, including 7 kids that were at the Plaza Towers Elementary School.

What is the current plan for Moore, Oklahoma? Building codes. The wind standard was moved from 90 mph to 135 mph. (Construction costs were estimated to increase about a dollar per square foot due to this, meaning the average home price would go up $2,000.) The new building codes aren’t meant for winds as high as 136 mph, but it is predicted to reduce damage by 30%, or $11 billion.

What can we do about it? What can we do to stop natural disasters? We can’t. There’s nothing we can do to stop nature. However, we can adapt to it. What I want is… Stricter building codes, specific to the natural disasters of that area More geologist involvement (through every step of the building process, from architectural to the construction) Check for faults before building No more ignored fault lines These to be applied to all buildings, not just homes

This will require… Money, both from the government and from the consumer Property and house prices will go up Geologist will have to be called in Architects, engineers, construction workers, and geologists will all have to work together But, in the end, don’t you think its worth it?

Citations "Shaken, but not stirred; Tech.view; Earthquake engineering needs to rouse itself." Global Agenda 10 Aug Global Issues In Context. Web. 27 May "Trial by fire." Maclean's 14 Sept. 2009: 9. Global Issues In Context. Web. 27 May Gaskill, Melissa, and Michael Wines. "At Least 5 Are Killed and 12 Are Missing as Storms Ravage Texas and Oklahoma." New York Times 26 May 2015: A9(L). Science in Context. Web. 27 May Simmons, Kevin M. "An Oklahoma Suburb, Tornado-Ready." New York Times 14 May 2015: A27(L).Science in Context. Web. 27 May 2015.