Demolition Vibrations Used to Study Earthquakes

When a 13-story building on the California State East Bay campus was declared seismically unsafe, university officials considered their options.  Retrofit was deemed too expensive, and the most economically sensible solution was demolition by implosion, then rebuild.  As the demolition date approached, a Cal State geology professor approached US Geological Survey officials with an idea:  why not study the vibrations from the implosion to learn about the area’s seismic vulnerabilities?  So when the building was demolished on August 17, 2013, more than 600 miniature seismographs in the area collected data that will help earthquake scientists better understand one the most dangerous fault zones in the U.S.  

According to the USGS, there is a 63 percent chance of a major earthquake in the San Francisco Bay area in the next 30 years.  The 13-story Warren Hall, built in 1971, stood a mere 2,000 feet from the Hayward Fault, which is considered the area’s most likely to shift.  Vibration recordings from the demolition will help scientists develop a seismic map of the area to locate trace fault lines that split off from the main fault, and determine where and how the ground might move when a large quake occurs.  The data will also help cities plan future development.   

About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) in business since 1935, is a premier specialized contractor operating in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, with over one hundred employees and an exemplary safety record (we have been directly involved in four sites that received VPP OSHA Safety Awards). R. Baker & Son is financially strong, with bonding capabilities over $10 million. Capabilities include industrial and commercial demolition, rigging, machinery- and plant-moving, dismantling, decommissioning, plant and equipment relocation, interior demolition, selective demolition, warehousing, wrecking and razing, millwright, plant reconfigurations, heavy rigging, salvage, environmental services, remediation, decontamination, abatement, and investment and asset recovery.. 

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