Minutes of General Meeting
May
19, 2004
Parksville
Community Centre
In
Attendance: Manley
Lafoy, Chair Helen Sims
Ron
‘Doc’ Halliday Patti
Wells
Egon
Kuhn Linda Todsen
Marni
Taylor
Glenn
McCurrie
Art Cowie
Guests:
Ken
Doll, Town of Qualicum Beach
Dave
Hewetson, Building Inspector, Town of Qualicum Beach
Bob
Weir, Director of Engineering, Town of Qualicum Beach
Stan
Schopp, Building Inspector, Regional District of Nanaimo
Pat Barbour Tumblestone
Tile
Manley
LaFoy called the meeting to order at 7:30 A.M. and welcomed guests,
introductions were made around the table.
Manley
LaFoy introduced the Guest Speaker, Jim Blohm from Peterson Galloway Ltd. in
Victoria and turned the meeting over to him for his presentation.
Jim
Blohm presented his background in architecture and structural engineering in
Vancouver, California and Victoria.
Seismic Issues – slide presentation notes
·
Juan De Fuca Plate is a result of the Pacific Plate pushing up against
Vancouver Island. The big
earthquake will take place when the whole plate breaks loose.
·
Physical evidence proves that a big earthquake has happened here every
300 – 500 years. The evidence is
obtained by examining the roots of trees in a ghost forest.
A ghost forest is formed when a tidal wave kills all the trees.
Washington State has a ghost forest.
·
The community must prepare for a big earthquake, as it has been 350 years
since the last big one.
·
Houses have to be a safe place as well as hospitals and schools.
·
Following a big earthquake there will be no water or power for 4 days.
It will take 6 months to 1 year before a City can get back to a
functioning level. It will take people 2-3 weeks to recover from the trauma,
especially children.
·
Wood frame construction is good at holding. New concrete foundations and anchor bolts are essential.
·
X cracks occur after an earthquake and start the collapse of a building.
·
In Victoria the code is applied to large buildings, but not to small
buildings. 4 story construction –
can be a new hybrid building
·
Must have:
o
1
level concrete
o
3
levels wood frame
o
bracing
walls in corridor walls
o
add
hold down seismic anchors to be tied to framed hardware foundation rod to go all
the way down – available through major supplier “Simpson”.
A 3-story building can handle wood frame.
·
St Annes Academy in Victoria was Canada’s largest restoration in the
late 90’s and the worst site he has ever experienced as it is sitting on blue
clay. Earthquake engineering was
applied to restore it.
·
Discussion on the proposed changes to the 2005 Building Code:
o
Changing
the relationship of buildings under Part 3, 4 and 9.
o
Changes
to residential code will require seismic upgrading. Will have to be engineered.
o
The
liability will be put on the purchaser and the contractor.
o
Stan
Schopp reported that there will be 2 sections: 1) Prescriptive 2) Objective
o
Highest
standard -Fire halls and hospitals
o
Second
highest – standard schools
o
Life
safety and damage control will be addressed.
o
U.S.A.
is downloading liability to the owners of the property.
Manley LaFoy thanked Jim Blohm for his interesting and informative
presentation.
Guests departed the meeting