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LaBonge wants more study on earthquake risks to concrete buildings

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The six-story concrete Barrington Building -- home to prominent dentists and psychiatrists to the stars -- suffered severe damage to its columns in the 1994 Northridge quake. That damage can be seen in the X-shaped cracks, precursors to a collapse.  (Jonathan Alcorn / For The Times)
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San Fernando Veterans Administration Hospital patients wait for evacuation to other facilities as the ruins of collapsed buildings are searched for victims after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit near Sylmar on Feb. 9, 1971. Two hospitals and two major freeway interchanges were destroyed.   (Bruce Cox / Los Angeles Times)
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Two concrete buildings at the San Fernando Veterans Administration Hospital crumbled in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, killing 49 people.

  (Bruce Cox / Los Angeles Times)
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An aerial view of the San Fernando Veterans Administration Hospital after the 1971 Sylmar earthquake.   (Larry Sharkey / Los Angeles Times)
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The dangers of brittle concrete buildings were underscored by the collapse of the Bullock’s department store at Northridge Fashion Center in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The store was built in 1971, before more robust building codes were enacted.  (Steve Dykes / Los Angeles Times)
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The Pyne Gould Corp. building collapsed when the magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand. It was built in the 1960s, before the adoption of modern seismic standards for concrete buildings.   (Hannah Johnston / Getty Images)
By Rosanna Xia, Rong-Gong Lin II and Doug Smith
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Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge said Monday that he would ask the City Council this week to consider the earthquake risks posed by the city’s more than 1,000 old concrete buildings.

LaBonge’s call for further study follows a Times report on concrete buildings in Los Angeles that were built before 1976. By the most conservative estimate, as many as 50 of the more than 1,000 old concrete buildings in the city would collapse in a major earthquake, exposing thousands to injury or death.

“Certainly, the study should be looked at,” LaBonge said. “I want to learn more and take the right steps.”

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INTERACTIVE: L.A.’s hidden dangers

Concrete buildings may look strong, but many older concrete buildings are vulnerable to the sideways movement of a major earthquake because they don’t have enough steel reinforcing bars to hold columns in place.

Los Angeles officials have known about the dangers for more than 40 years but have failed to force owners to make their properties safer. The city has even rejected calls to make a list of concrete buildings.

LaBonge, who earlier this year introduced a motion to look into making a list of the city’s vulnerable wood-framed “soft”-story buildings, said preparation for the next big earthquake is crucial. There are cost concerns to figure out, he said, but it’s important to understand the risks.

“All I know is this: We’re going to have another earthquake,” he said. “We must prepare and we must understand the situation and make sure we’re not at fault for not preparing.”

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INTERACTIVE: L.A.’s hidden dangers

Many older concrete buildings pose earthquake risk

FAQ: Concrete buildings, earthquake safety and you

Twitter: @rosannaxia

earthquake@latimes.com

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Rosanna Xia

Rosanna Xia is an environment reporter for the Los Angeles Times, where she specializes in stories about the coast and ocean. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2020 for explanatory reporting, and her first book, “California Against the Sea,” examines the future of our vanishing coastline in the face of rising water.

Rong-Gong Lin II

Rong-Gong Lin II is a Metro reporter based in San Francisco who specializes in covering statewide earthquake safety issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bay Area native is a graduate of UC Berkeley and started at the Los Angeles Times in 2004.

Doug Smith

Los Angeles Times senior writer Doug Smith scouts Los Angeles for the ragged edges where public policy meets real people, combining data analysis and gumshoe reporting to tell L.A. stories through his more than 50 years of experience covering the city.

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