A Tale of Two Cities: Comparing Observations from L’Aquila, Italy and Padang, Indonesia – Perspectives 01/10
Two major earthquakes rocked different regions of the world in 2009, and Degenkolb Engineers was on the front lines for both, sending reconnaissance teams to L’Aquila, Italy and Padang, Indonesia to better understand building performance after an earthquake. Observing the aftermath of an earthquake provides a valuable opportunity to see and feel the impact of severe earthquakes and to define and discuss how to better achieve disaster resilience and seismic safety.
In April, L’Aquila, a thirteenth century city, suffered a magnitude 6.3 shock that caused more than 300 deaths, essentially shut down the city and forced its 70,000 residents to relocate in many temporary settlements outside the city’s borders. Padang, Indonesia suffered a similar fate five months later when a magnitude 7.6 quake triggered a string of natural disasters killing more than 1,000 people. While the effects of both earthquakes were congruous, a comparison of the cities’ structural designs, building code and enforcement practices provides a much richer context and unveils striking differences that ended in similar fates. It also provides a deeper understanding for earthquake professionals.
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