how did he get /that/ one past code?? ----- Original Message ----- From: Kirk McLoren To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 2:39 PM Subject: Re: [Biofuel] surviving building collapse
If structures were seen as "boats" instead of anchored in the soil they could be safer. A friend of mine did that in So California. He had the cement foundation sitting on rocks so it could slide. A flexible connection on the utilities allowed movement and the next quake he had zero damage vs cracked foundations in his neighbors houses. Kirk robert and benita rabello <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Kirk McLoren wrote: > If it saves one child. > How sad it is we were all taught to get under our desk. > As he said - how obscene. Murdered by misinformation. We were taught several things about earthquake survival as children. In addition to stored food, water and a portable radio, we needed to have shoes by the bed and we were supposed to stay away from windows. Flying glass causes a lot of injury, and without shoes, feet cut easily on sharp debris. We were warned to NEVER leave a building while the ground was shaking, and to exit with great care (look up before going out) to avoid getting hit by fascia or other debris falling from above. We were told to stay away from stairs and elevators, too. If outside, we were to look for open ground, avoiding powerlines and any building higher than a single story, if possible, and to stay low. (I've almost been knocked off my feet by an earthquake!) If we were driving, we were supposed to pull off the road and get out of the car and onto the shoulder. (This also allows easier access for emergency vehicles.) Much of this advice makes sense. Houses and schools where I grew up tended to be single storey buildings. Very little of the construction involved concrete, save for stem walls in the foundations. If the roof is lightweight, pressing into a doorway (the strongest part of the house frame) made sense, as long as I put my back to the hinge so that the door wouldn't slam against me. In light of what you've posted here, I wouldn't do that now, though! Where I come from, houses were primarily constructed of wood frames that supported thick walls filled with mortared brick. This kind of construction fared well in earthquakes because the wood framing allowed the houses to flex and sway. (The house I grew up in had been built in 1928 and survived MANY strong earthquakes without damage.) The biggest danger involved chimneys falling into the house. This happened to our next door neighbor, but fortunately, no one was hurt. I don't think there was a conscious effort to misinform. We were once told to put our noses to the floor while trying to escape from fires, too, until people began dying from inhaling all of the heavy, off-gassing of modern carpets and drapes. We should be willing to adapt when new information is presented. robert luis rabello "The Edge of Justice" "The Long Journey" New Adventure for Your Mind http://www.newadventure.ca Ranger Supercharger Project Page http://www.members.shaw.ca/rabello/ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TV dinner still cooling? Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.431 / Virus Database: 268.18.8/714 - Release Date: 3/8/2007 10:58 AM
No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.431 / Virus Database: 268.18.8/714 - Release Date: 3/8/2007 10:58 AM
_______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/