March 13, 2002

Design Detailings: Quake experts speak tonight at UW

Hiroo Kanamori, geophysics professor at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, and one of the world's most highly regarded seismologists, will speak at 7 tonight in Kane Hall, Room 210, University of Washington.

Kanamori will deliver the Mindlin Lecture just weeks after the first anniversary of the Nisqually earthquake that shook western Washington. Though it registered at magnitude 6.8, the effects of the Nisqually earthquake were relatively modest by comparison to what could happen in a quake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which lies off the coast of Washington, Oregon and northern California. The Cascadia zone is where the Pacific tectonic plate dives beneath the North American plate.

It was Kanmori's work in the 1980s that first quantified the size and likelihood of a future subduction zone earthquake here. His lecture will review progress made in understanding the basic physics of earthquakes that allows seismologists to forecast the overall long-term seismic activity and lets policy makers anticipate damage in order to formulate response plans.

The event is free. For information, contact the UW at (206) 543-6505.

NY Port official looks at 9/11 impact

The Fast Start Program and FEMA luncheon on Tuesday will include guest speaker Achille Niro, P.E., assistant chief engineer for program management for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Niro will discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what operational impacts to emergency response programs are being implemented by the port in light of recent events, such as 9/11. John Pennington, director of FEMA Region 10, will speak on FEMA’s Regional Readiness Program. Luncheon price is $15 (cash or check) at the door; $10 for military/government. The luncheon will be held at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office, 4735 East Marginal Way.

Quake experts discuss Olympia

The Seattle Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers holds its section meeting 5:30 tonight at the Ballard Yankee Grill, 5300 24th Ave. N.W. The program will feature Mike Wright of Swensen Say Faget, Bill Perkins and Bob Mitchell of Shannon & Wilson speaking on the Legislative Building Seismic Rehabilitation.

The presenters will be discussing the seismic aspects of the $90 million rehabilitation of the Legislative Building in Olympia which sustained substantial damage during the Nisqually earthquake. Damage required that the building be red-tagged,and the State Legislature temporarily vacate the structure. The presenters assessed the short-term risk to the structure prior to repair work, assisted with emergency repairs and provided design for the long term seismic rehab. Tasks ranged from ground motion studies to detailed structural evaluations and design of anchorages for the massive exterior stones. Cost: $21 per person. For information, call (206) 926-0482.

Arts Commission seeks indie artists

The Seattle Arts Commission is accepting applications for a new funding program, Arts Projects. Arts Projects funds the presentation of finished work by an independent, individual artist or collective of individual artists, in any discipline, based in Seattle. Application materials are available at the Arts Commission Web site atcityofseattle.net/arts/funding/calls.htm.

MulvannyG2 moving its Seattle staff to Bellevue

MulvannyG2 Architecture has moved its Seattle office staff to its new headquarters at the One Twelfth @ Twelfth office campus in downtown Bellevue.

"It's a positive step forward for the future growth and success of our firm, and our clients," said Mitch Smith, MulvannyG2 president.

Several factors contributed to the firm's decision to make this move. The firm's new headquarters at the One Twelfth @ Twelfth campus has ample additional expansion space. This space allows MulvannyG2 to merge the two offices and combine architectural, space planning, and interior design services in one central location. The economics of having one Puget Sound location also played a role in this move.

The 480,000-square-foot One Twelfth @ Twelfth office campus, designed by MulvannyG2, has three six-story buildings and opened in April 2001.