| Show t f J t 1 I $ e- 1 4A The Salt Lake Tribune Sunday October Ca I " :::::::w 14 1990 v 4:::44:4::40::::::::::::::its::0:44 4 I ornia- - ua ie Safety Goals ' i By Deborah Anderluh r Newspapers Calif — A year after an earthquake crumpled the massive columns of Oakland's Cypress Street Viaduct and jarred loose a Bay Bridge deck only a handful of state bridges and overpasses have been braced for the next one An ambitious state program to strengthen bridges built before 1971 and thought vulnerable in another powerful quake remains largely on the planning board By year's end only about a dozen state bridges will be significantly stronger than they were before the Loma Prieta quake struc- Six others — all double-dectures in San Francisco — probably will still be closed But it's not for lack of will The California Department of Transportation is spending millions of dollars and thousands hourtrongers trying to make its bridges s It has screened 25000 state and local bridges half are being considered for retrofits Work is to be completed by 1994 But beneath Caltrans' can-d- o rhetoric lies a basic dilemma: the designs for strengthening the majority of state bridges have yet to be invented "The public should not presume the risk has been substantially reduced" said Charles Thiel a recognized expert on seismic engineering and editor of a Gov George Deukmejian-ordered analysis of the Cypress Street Viaduct and Bay Bridge Knight-Ridde- SAN JOSE k failures "We don't know enough about earthquakes" Thiel said "and like any other profession we can move only as fast as we have information" Engineers both inside and outside Caltrans say that just because they believe thousand q of bridges need to be strengthened or retrofitted does not mean those bridges will fall in another earthquake Caltrans contends that after visual inspections and reviewing design plans for most bridges it has closed the bridges — all in San Francisco — that it feels are in danger of failure pending repair or removal: the Embarcadero Freeway the Central Freeway between Oak and Franklin streets Interstate 280 between Highway 101 and Army Street and the of Terminal Separation a half-mil- e ramps twisting into Outside experts say they also don't know that all the bridges still open would withstand a quake Knowing that they say requires more detailed analyses — analyses only now being done by Caltrans Asked whether there are bridges that will fail in a strong quake John Osterass a seismic specialist at the Failure Menlo Park Calif-base- d Analysis Associates said "I would have to say 'yes' And I think that's why Ca !trans is moving so quickly "If there is another earthquake bridge designs Since then engineers have used about twice as much steel inside concrete columns — steel that loops throughout the column making it easier for the concrete to bend and crack without collapsing The problem Caltrans faces is how 1 to shore the columns without putting undue stress on other parts of the bridge Even then engi- neers disagree over whether the resulting structure will be as strong as bridges designed today state For the 430 single-colum- n bridges thought to need retrofits a solution seems imminent Frieder Seible a structural engineering professor at the University of Calipast fornia San Diego has spent the three years researching shoring techniques for Caltrans subjecting scale models to simulated earthquake forces Caltrans has already adopted a design he has tested with great success: '44'':-:::::':::7:''- ' '' :4:f I :"' ' :::1:: ' l'i: 7 ' ::': ' — 1 '::g'' :'t '' k' I r- - N '''''A -- '4:7 44 t - '''::- - !!' ' ' Y0 : y' :::7:i :7::ii 4' t: 1 AJ': k II: o' )1 ! -' ' ''' : ''‘ "4-: '' ' i - -- ' '''' '1"t t''' ' 4' ' '1 - 11' ' :::' - N1::::-: ' ' - $ 1 frh" v I A - -OP' 04:" ''' '' ' 10' :' 1 '04 tr'- ''''4t ' '' '''' ' ' ' ' ' ' - ''''"t eifr -- 1- -- gt'' 11' Ci 1 7"'5' '1 lk : '''''':7:761 ! kt - ' - ' - :'''::' '' 4 r - 1 il ' " 0 - ' - 4 - "I'soor ' - '15 ' -' t - OtA1947 '''" : ' - r7- -- : s 2 l' ' ' ''' I -'' - I ' c-- ''' '4" s' ' °° ‘ ' 4' 7 - s t - A"'“ 1(0'ii ‘'A '1 ' 4I "''''-- i 4 I p 44 t ' t" 4- - 40 - - 1 4 l in A : 1 11 I - '" "4'1 s ' ' - 4 i - s - N-- 4 - 4 a -: - ''- tA 4'1 "Zr---'- 3 t 't1?"4st 7 - A 4: 's 4 ilk - ' eli ' N-- ' 4 '414g6iitfAlf6:: - - - - -- - ' — - J - - ?N s7-- -' - ” - --- 114 '' ' ' ' ti - iit - : 4 v - ''' 44kt ' '! w: :'-' :'' - - - l - ' 1 s- 4 - -- 1 t : ''' ' s —United Press International Photo Since this section of Bay Bridge collapsed killing one some 20000 now leave cars home and ride the rapid transit system f- - 4-- e ' : 7 4404011il'''''' 'f''' i ' ''''''' ' - la:41 iblow:'1aAig' ' —tinned Press International Photo year's Loma Prieta earthquake laid this San Francisco apartment building to waste I Bridge By the first week of October only 56 of the 397 claimants had been paid They received a total of $104 million out of a $30 million fund set up by the state Legislature Another 11 claims have been rejected The rest more than 300 claimants wait Chris Oliver spokesman for the Board of Control said 14 of the injury claims against the state stemming from the quake have been filed in court suits Helm's two minor children were paid $50000 each from the emergency relief fund But negotiations remain far apart for the final resolution David Baum Halangahu's lawyer said "I can say with certainty this failure to resolve his claim has created a hardship" "A lot of claims for deaths are still pending There is no reason those should not be resolved" he said Joe Rodding spokesman for the Board of Claims said "I expect the program will be negotiating this time next year It is a long involved process" More than 70000 property claims of all kinds have been filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency Of the 38000 victims who asked FEMA for temporary housing assistance which is limited to $5000 or three months rent 21000 were de flied The rest averaged $1265 per displaced renter or homeowner Another 37000 claims to the individual and family grant program funded jointly by FEMA and the state of California had a total of 29000 grants approved with the majority of payments less than $2000 each A few people have been accused of to loot the coffers of small amounts to take personal advantage trying of the disaster on Sept 17 US Attorney William McGivern charged seven people in federal court with making phony earthquake relief claims They each face five years in prison and $250000 in fines n hec 1 ' 4' I 7 - 14 i ' ''''' 4 -- : "04' '''' - "'7' '' 4 e' " 1 :'"'"''''" t k ro ': 4°' ''" 7t-- I - - '—' ':' i x k '" ? - ' - i ! "1 tI ' ''' ' "'- -' ' '1P' : ''''' : P t: V - ‘'''' ' ‘ ' i ' 04:0011 - 4'S e0g ' r 1 - A - Oa A 1: 1 ) f: s r - e A 'A I 4444 1 ' :1k 1P'7vt 4- -1 iJ(4e1-- '' ''''''''''!'!' - '''N k: orr:' li 4 i44"-- - and slid 10 feet to become lodged beneath the stairwell It took an hour for firefighters and - d-r 47 I'" e' '''' 7!-- 1": it-- - —United Press Interndttomi Sherra Cox is rushed to the hospital after heroic firefighter Gerry Shannon braved Shannon is shy of the publicity but can't avoid it He was chosen along with others to throw out the ceremonial first pitch when the World Series resumed He was named Fireman of the Year by Firehouse Magazine and the manufacturers of Kleenex flew him to Washington to accept a "God Bless You" Award Last month he received the Class A Meritorious Award usually the highest honor given by the San Francisco Fire Department and is the first firefighter since 1973 to merit the Scannell Medal named for former Chief David Scannell who served from 1871 until he died in 1893 "I used to dream about getting a Class A" he says "but not a Scannell 1 thought everybody that has that is dead" tive feeling" To this day they keep in touch and who whose lives were profoundly share the occasional dinner Photo gas leaks and aftershocks to free her from ruins of her collapsed apartment building 'Perils of Pauline " she says He not to worry he was an old woodsman Another lie Shannon is a city boy fourth generation "I was biting my lip" he says "I was glad she couldn't see my face" He cut through the door and another fear gripped her She had no clothes on He handed her a robe and they pulled her out "When I got to the hole there were 400 people whistling and clapping" he says "At fires I try to stay away from the cameras but she made it plain she wasn't going into the ambulance until she got my last name" He leaned over and she whis-pered You're my hero" Shannon's rule is to never follow up on his rescues The news is usually bad This time he called "I watched the ambulance go away and I just knew it I made it she made it rhere was so much positold her 1 - --- - ' where below in the rubble "I went outside and counted only two floors on the building" instead of three "That's where my horror Carol nearly made it to the stairs -- q IA-- f' so bad the building just settled' I had visions of them cowering behind a sofa" Then he realized that the decor belonged to his upstairs neighbor His own apartment was some- started" : - ' Y S- - 0' changing table Then the build- ing collapsed "If she had just gone back to work one day earlier it would have been fine" Walter says "Or if I had just talked a little longer and not been "My initial feeling was 'This is not 10 The Quake of '89 still haunts those shaken Walter and Carol Dickinson ache towwhen they see a little blue-eye- d head on the streets The Dickinsons who lost their son Scott when their Marina apartment building collapsed constantly rethink each movement and choice minute and second that left them in the wrong place on that hot Tuesday Carol 38 had been on maternity leave and was to return to work that day at the Fairmont Hotel If she had their son Scott would have been safe in day care But she wanted one more day with him At about 5 pm the doorbell of their Cervantes Boulevard apartment rang She carried Scotty downstairs to retrieve some photos from Walter 45 chief of veterans assistance for the Northern California Department of Veterans Affairs who was doing errands on his bicycle Carol took the photos and raised Scott's tiny hand to wave good-bas his daddy rode off toward the y i I ment tik- p-- '''' 4 1 :qr '" - ' ' - Alameda San Francisco and Santa 11 FEMA will pay an un- - — disclosed amount for restoration of housing lost when 2070 units of transient hotel space was destroyed The Small Business Administration has paid out $2484 million for nearly 15000 reconstruction loans That is a little over half the 25927 requests from people attempting to rebuild homes and businesses The California Department of Insurance has estimated there were $590 million in insured losses covered by the catastrophe Those losses are only a fraction of the nearly $6 billion in estimated damage from the 71 quake selfish to go on a bike ride" He raced back and climbed window into through the first-floo- r what would have been their apart- — ' : Cruz counties the :' ! : 1! FEMA reached a tentative settle- - ment on Sept 26 of a lawsuit by legal aid groups representing the poor of na Green They went back upstairs to ' ' - "' I' t ' ) - cuLzig 14 Survivors Remember Quake That changed Lives Forever ' t 1 - -k --- '' 2 -- r : 1" 7 : $ - R 4 r ' f ' - - ‘' I " - - - - 1 444 ''?"'" ' - " st ' '''' i ' 4 a y -- Fv '' - 11 vi Vit 't-40-- 4214 I' ' ' - N IF''''vrtrs' Helm's miraculous rescue after four days trapped in the collapsed Cypress Street freeway structure cheered the death-wearregion He lived for another 28 days Vasitios Chou los the Helm family lawyer said he has given the state another 90 days to resolve the case or he will go to court In Oakland Lesisita Halangahu whose car plunged into the abyss of a collapsed section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge waits for the board to begin negotiations on his injury claims while he struggles to support his family and recover from his severe injuries Their cases represent two of 397 claims filed against California under a special law enacted after the quake to quickly assist victims of the collapsed Cypress structure and Bay 'i N 4 i" 47 - '4 —" " '' ''''''c4'"'''z'1'- k'N 7 : '''''' A' " 'f f: — '''''N 1 k i ':'':!"1 '': ' - 5z -- - i1:441401'" Tr their father 1: ' "1 7 i' i':' e:'':' Ar - -- - :1144-'1004- z ' 'g : By Pamela A MacLean United Press International SAN FRANCISCO — In 15 seconds the Loma Prieta earthquake scattered tragedy randomly over thousands of lives One year later much of the $155 billion in claims for financial aid are still unresolved A few victims have turned to the courts to press their claims but the vast majority stumble through a dizzying maze of government programs still hoping for relief In Weaverville the family of longshoreman Buck Helm waits for the California Board of Claims to negotiate a settlement for the death of ' ' 1 " -- ' : ' 7 Atte - 4:4 ? ': 'I - : Crews join forces to finish the demolition before more harm is done a day after last '"':g -- Alli - - tf: trtto —'-'-- - ''' r' :' c I K4F 4:: 1-- r ' :'f'":t A "' ' '" 4'47 '(4017'Irt':'''rt' T 47'"044A y 1& - : 'Atte - 440 i 2 ' 101 -- '' ' -- ? - ' 1 ' ' re - ' 1744w : 7 : e '''' 7':i:t:)! ''i' ': -- - - ) ' Ag-- j - '‘u4 A - 1 '4 ' ' ' '''' '' - ' T1 -f' :: 1 r-- ' :::::':':71::14)4 1 P ":'''':'i : f:- - '' cf' ' 1J ':' ' -- -: of ' - - t:fT4 ilttitt-v- t ' 7 A ' A ' — 44:4':: 7F4 : i f ' 44— g - 7 'f N:N 4- 2 "1?— - '1 : 11 41''4A'''' ' " a 44 A 4 - I' ::k z: e''''! ''"F1 T:' ::i I::Nti' 1 : - 111 i' - rt 1 ' 4' 49' f4 0' ' ' r I i: '- Vro' ' : "- b'S' -'' 1-- - ' 'f-4-' orArl'-- ' ! Backlogged California Courts Leave Quake Victims Reeling ' " : ! 01 't- y :' ' 'e 41 0'kil ''''44' It 'I :1' je '''': ': i 7 t '1 '''?: : 41':''' -' toi : By Sam Whiting San Francisco Chronicle Writer SAN FRANCISCO — Just before spending three hours entombed beneath her Beach Street building Sherra Cox was relishing her good fortune Her longtime landlord had given her a corner apartment on the first floor above the garage "It was beautiful and repainted" says Cox 56 an office manager for a frozen-food- s company She had just moved in and everything was in boxes except her baby grand piano She got up to turn on the World Series and the avalanche buried her She was trapped beneath heavy beams order She heard people calling out for In the months since change has come quickly Seismic safety has survivors but they didn't hear her moved from near the bottom on the response only her right arm department's priority list to the very sheAble to move to a pipe and beat will managed grab the This top year department contract out $250 million worth of it until someone heard and alerted a seismic retrofitting up from the $4 firefighter Gerry Shannon a 20- million a year it averaged before the year veteran who still bursts with when he pins on his badge Loma Prieta quake according to pride -He is the story" says Cox "The Caltrans chief of structures Jim Roberts It will contract for $8 million efforts he went to to save a complete worth of seismic research up from stranger I just happen to be the end of it" $500000 Shannon 45 spent nearly three Roberts also has been able to hire about 200 new people and 43 new hours and as many chain saws to dig out this stranger The entire time he contractors crawled that Army style cutting through estimate ultimately They 6500 state and local bridges will the rubble of a building he knew need columns hinges and footings could burst into flames any moment But she didn't know it and he shored if they are to survive a maxiwouldn't tell her mum credible quake without co"Hitting those sparks from the llapse or major damage It took Caltrans 17 years — from nails I just closed my eyes and waitto complete Phase 1 ed for the big bang" he says But 1972 to 1989 after I heard her voice there was no seismic retrofit of its three-phas- e program a $54 million effort to tie way I could leave her" Several times he crawled out for bridge segments together tools and then crawled back under By contrast Caltrans expects to finish phases 2 and 3 — far more ignoring warnings that the building would go His last time in the corner complicated design work to strengthen columns and hinges — within the of the building caught fire and water sank the ceiling decade -I was telling her anything I could "The funding's there The priority to is there That's the major develokeep her as calm as possible" he says pment" Roberts said It worked What's not there at least in most "I believed every word he said" cases are the answers says Cox "The only time I worried Most of the state's freeway interI changes and overpasses fall into one was when did smell gas and smoke He said it was the building across the of two design categories: single-columstreet" bridges — those with the mush At last he reached out and grasped stems spreading gracefulroom-lik- e and her hand She wouldn't let go until ly toward the roadway multicolumn which have a series of he convinced her the chain saw was d hard to operate columns along each side connected The final task was to sever a door to the deck by hinges ''It was like directly on top of vulnerability is gener Eaithquake k e ' :- '72::''7:::rt:':::-I- ': '':'':'' ki '!'' i' k :'?1'''7:' ':::4 ''''::' ' :'' ' ::- - someone will suggest Caltrans should have shut down all the bridges until they could be analyzed But nobody would stand for it before the fact" In the flurry of reports that followed the Cypress Street collapse which killed 42 and the Bay Bridge failure which killed one Ca 'trans was never formally blamed A board of inquiry appointed by the governor said a competent engineer would have concluded from detailed structural and soil analyses that the bridges would collapse in a quake like Loma Prieta Caltrans had never done such a study but was absolved because of the fiscal constraints it was operating under and the press to use what money there was to build roads Still the board urged substantial changes in the state's seismic retrofit program to strengthen its bridges and Deukmejian transformed the recommendations into an executive ri "'74t 1( I under way The wrapping technique doesn't seem feasible Seible said because it doesn't address design weaknesses in the hinges and joints that join col- umn to roadway What has been learned indicates Caltrans will need to replace columns rather than simply brace them Last week Caltrans announced it would replac! nthnencolunas onclosed and the Central portions of Freeway — after spending months and millions to encase columns in steel wraps 2' 1 44 ' 4 ir41 ! -:-- -- ! ii il " I i - : - 1 ' -- 6o at---- --1 ir-- Az 44 4 i::11 t 7 for the multicolumn structures which represent the majority of bridges research is just getting 9 : t rIlig ' - rf-oo-m- : lifir !':-- 4 ik III 'N ' - 'effit !: -1' -'-' - 4- - 4111tIN14441‘ -1- 4- ' 1992 But pre-197- 'i- "T: I jacket that in essence wraps the single concrete columns so that even if they crumble in a quake they can continue to shoulder their burden Caltrans is in the process of wrapping about a dozen single-colum- n bridges most in Southern California It expects to have contracts for the rest by the end of next year and to complete the work by December Caltrans drastically altered its :' ':: - t a steel ally higher in bridges built before 1971 That year due to lessons learned in the 1971 Sylmar quake -: Outrun Funds Technology 001' SUNDAY SELECTION -': epveN:41::$4410------''-a- V' Army personnel to dig through the debris and free them When mother and child were finally rescued Carol was taken to Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center with a badly broken arm Scotty who appeared not to be breathing was taken to San Francisco General Carol was placed in a dark room the power was still out Later that evening Walter came in He didn't really have to tell her She knew from his expression Scotty was dead: he had died in her arms His lungs couldn't filter all the dust and debris They went to her hometown of Spokane to bury Scotty then "got in a car and didn't stop driving for a week" he says When they returned Carol's employers the Swig family put them up in a suite at the Fairmont for a month The Dickinsons moved to an apartment in Presidio Heights around Christmas time All their furniture had been destroyed They walke4 into Macy's and a clerk figuring out who they were sold them a beautiful dining room set at cost Anything to assuage the community's grief at their tragedy ) |
