Massive Earthquake Jolts Bay Area
The tragedy of the Bay Area earthquake will linger on for years and our sympathies go out to the people most affected.
The problem of engineering double-decker structures will surely come into sharp focus. The two major structural failures--the Bay Bridge and the Nimitz Freeway--were both tiered-deck structures. In each case, the lower level was the support for the upper level, unlike the ground support for one level. The strong wave motions apparently were too much for the lower level to support the upper level and the levels collapsed.
The Bay Bridge is 50-some years old. No doubt major rebuilding will be needed on both systems and new engineering tests will be needed to determine if double-decking is safe in an earthquake zone. Since Los Angeles has toyed with the idea of especially busy corridors such as the Ventura Freeway, engineering studies are needed to see if such structures can be made safely.
SOL TAYLOR
Studio City
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