Inspectors Begin Assessing 800 Buildings for Earthquake Damages in Napa

Teams of building inspectors are making their way through Napa Valley, CA following the recent earthquake and many aftershocks. Scores of structures have been red-tagged by authorities, deeming them uninhabitable. Engineers and others are curious to determine the effectiveness of years of earthquake preparedness and structural retrofitting in the downtown area, according to an article in The Press Democrat. “Deeper structural inspections will come later after current preliminary inspections that are aimed at essentially determining whether structures are safe to inhabit,” explains reporter Martin Espinoza. He says if a building is damaged, but the structural framework is intact, the retrofitting has done its job.

 

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/2587291-181/teams-of-inspectors-start-assessment