Washington’s I-5 Bridge over Columbia River Needs Seismic Upgrade

February 15, 2011 rockman Project Related Comments Off on Washington’s I-5 Bridge over Columbia River Needs Seismic Upgrade
I-5 Bridge over the Columbia River - seismically deficient

I-5 Bridge over the Columbia River - seismically deficient

The timber piles of the existing I-5 bridge over the Columbia River is vulnerable to liquefaction in the event of a major earthquake. And there is no shortage of potential sources for the shaking in the area. A slip along the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate could be one potential source, as could a major fault zone along Portland’s west hills. These considerations are one of the reasons a new Columbia River Crossing project is being pursued. [Source: The Columbian via AGC SmartBrief. Image: The Columbian]

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Geologic Hazards

Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake February 2011 News Resources

March 7, 2011 rockman Geologic Hazards Comments Off on Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake February 2011 News Resources

Christchurch Earthquake Map

A deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand on February 22, killing at least 147 and with around 200 still missing.  Many buildings have been badly damaged or destroyed and residents also had to deal with large quanities of mud and water which was a result of the liquefaction.  The same region was affected by a 7.1 magnitude quake in September of 2010.  That earthquake was centered deeper and farther from the metropolitan area so there were fewer casualties and less damage.  But many buildings that had recently been repaired, or were even still under repair were devastated once again.  Some early reports were calling this earthquake an aftershock of the September earthquake, but maps I’ve seen (at right) show pretty clearly it was a different fault segment that ruptured during this earthquake.  I have a collection of links below that might be of interest. My heart goes out to the people of New Zealand affected by this disaster.

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Work continues at the Port of Anchorage expansion project on May 5, 2010.
Project Related

Audit: Federal agency failed in oversight of port expansion in Anchorage

August 15, 2013 rockman Project Related Comments Off on Audit: Federal agency failed in oversight of port expansion in Anchorage

The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General released a scathing audit report on the troubled Port of Anchorage expansion project and the obscure federal agency that was supposed to be overseeing it, the Maritime Administration […]