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Puget Sound Shaken and Stirred But Still Stable Thanks to Retrofitting

SEATTLE, WA-Earthquake damages have initially been estimated at $2 billion, but the damage to buildings is for the most part relatively minor. Experts give credit to seismic retrofitting and strict codes on newer structures.

By Janet Parker | Updated on March 01, 2001

SEATTLE, WA-As damage assessment is taking place in the Puget Sound region with the help of the Federal Emergency Management Administration, much of the talk is praise for the building requirements for new structures and the apparently successful retrofitting of many of the area’s timeworn properties.

Rod Kauffman, executive vice president of the Building Owners and Managers Assn. of Seattle and King County, conducted an informal survey of the organization’s members after the quake, asking for reports on how well their buildings fared. As of this afternoon, Kauffman had received about 30 to 40 e-mail responses.

For the most part, Kauffman tells GlobeSt “most of the damage has been minor – cracks and fallen plaster, mostly cosmetic damage.” Buildings most affected were older, masonry structures and those built on the more unstable land, such as clay fills and sand he says. “Pioneer Square has both, and that’s why you saw so much damage there.” Kauffman continued saying that damage would certainly have been more severe if not for built-in seismic precautions and retrofits.

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