Toward a Philosophy for Seismic Retrofit: The Seattle Experience

By examining seismic retrofit experience with three buildings in Seattle, important practical issues regarding the underlying economic, political, and social conflicts are explored. The philosophy of seismic retrofit and its resulting consequences for life safety, building usefulness both before and after seismic events, and the economic consequences of retrofit are examined in light of the professional and regulatory atmosphere. While a great deal of information is generated nationally in the field of seismic retrofit, its assimilation by the practising professional and regulatory official is incomplete and uncoordinated. The work proposes, therefore, a seismic retrofit design philosophy for discussion and possible use as a premise for development of codes. The proposed philosophy coordinates the economic, social, and life safety aspects of seismic retrofit in a way that meets the needs of designers and regulators who are currently forced to make social policy in their everyday design interactions.