Northridge Earthquake 1994: Performance of Structures, Lifelines, and Fire Protection Systems

摘要

A magnitude 6.8 (Ms) earthquake centered under the community of Northridge in the San Fernando Valley shook the entire Los Angeles metropolitan area at 4:31 a.m. local time on Monday, January 17, 1994. Moderate damage to the built environment was widespread; severe damage included collapsed buildings and highway overpasses. A multi-agency team, organized under the auspices of the Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in Construction and headed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, arrived at the earthquake site within days of the event to document the effects of the earthquake. The team focused on the effects to the built environment, with the goal of capturing perishable data and quickly identifying situations deserving in-depth study. The report includes a summary of the team's observations.