Alpine Overhead Doors manufactures a Redi-Storm® and Fire-Storm line of Seismic rolling doors. These Storm doors are used in High Earthquake, High Seismic activity areas within geographic locations throughout the Western coast line of the United States.
Seismic Activity on the West Coast of the U.S. is a very real concern and activity levels are on the rise.
Over the last 48 hours the west coast of America has been shaken up at a 4.0 magnitude level or greater on numerous occasions.
It has been predicted that with the huge seismic activity currently taking place, a potentially devastating 9.8 earthquake may occur in the western United States next week.
As you can see from the map below, Seismic activity in the U.S. is very prevalent in the area’s depicted.
A recent swarm of earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault in California has some experts thinking about what will happen when the “Big One” eventually hits. After seismologists recorded a 4.6-magnitude quake near Gonzales on Monday morning, nearly 30 aftershocks followed.
Per a report from SFGate.com, the first earthquake hit at approximately 11:30 a.m. Residents in San Francisco, nearly 90 miles away from the quake’s epicenter, felt the shaking. Aftershocks ranging from 0.8-magnitude to 2.8-magnitude continued throughout the day.
Geophysicist Jessica Turner, with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), said the 30 aftershocks occurred within two miles of where the initial tremor struck. However, even though the number of quakes may seem alarming, she said these are actually quite characteristic of this type of seismic event.
“Usually the larger magnitudes that are shallow in depth, that happen really close to the surface —those usually have more aftershocks. And this one was only six kilometers (four miles) beneath the surface, so it’s very shallow.”
Turner’s view is relatively optimistic and suggests the recent earthquake swarm is no cause for alarm. Yet, another member of the USGS has made some stimulating projections predicting the devastation of an impending large earthquake in California.
“When you live here in Southern California you just have to say it will happen,” said seismologist Lucy Jones, as reported by CBS Los Angeles. “When we have a big San Andreas earthquake it’ll be felt in Las Vegas and in Arizona. It may be felt in the Bay Area.”
Computer models forecast a 7.8-magnitude tremor striking within the San Andreas Fault would cause massive destruction. In the scenario, damage estimates reach over $200 billion, with 300,000 buildings destroyed or significantly damaged and 1,800 people dead.
An earthquake of this magnitude in California would render roads, utility lines, sewer systems, and railways unusable, noted Jones. The collapse of “vulnerable” infrastructure would leave the state helpless and cut off from the rest of the world.
Chris Ipsen, with the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, said the agency is preparing for a “worst case scenario” if the Big One hits California. Likely taking at least 18 months following such a large disaster, getting the water systems and electrical grid back online would be a major concern of the department.
As far as a tsunami after the quake, Ipsen said that isn’t one to worry over. To create a massive tidal wave, the earthquake would need to occur underwater, and California does not have any fault lines offshore.
All Alpine Redi–Storm and Fire Doors can be manufactured to incorporate the Seismic performance qualities and have been designed in accordance with Seismic Wind Loads as per ASCE 7 – Equations for Seismic Ground Motion and Horizontal Seismic Demands on Nonstructural Components such as the rolling door, Barrel Assembly and Motor Assembly.
The 2012 IBC (which references ASCE 7-10) includes live load (L); snow load (S); fluid load (F); and loads due to lateral earth pressures (H)
ASCE 7 Section 13.5.2 states architectural components that could pose a life-safety hazard shall be designed to accommodate the seismic relative displacement of Section 13.3.2.
ASCE 7 Section 13.5.3 – Identifies the Fasteners for the Exterior Nonstructural Wall Elements and Connections. All fasteners in the connecting system such as bolts, inserts, welds and dowels and the body of the connectors shall be designed for the force(Fp) determined by Section 13.3.1 with values of Rp and Ap taken from Table 13.5-1 applied at the center of mass of the panel.
Vertical Load, Rb, to attachments due to dead loads takes into account applicable load combination in accordance with the 2009 IBC and 2012 IBC Equation 16-5, due to combining earthquake effects with the effects of gravity plus adding F b, multiplied by two. F b is multiplied by two to account for all of the attachments on both sides of the assembly.
Alpine’s engineering team have developed a complete product line of Seismic rolling doors, High-Wind doors and Hurricane resistant overhead rolling steel doors which are readily fabricated in our state of the art manufacturing plant in East Setauket, New York.
Just visit the Alpine website and select the Alpine door model that serves your needs for the specific location of your door project.
The Alpine Sales staff will be more than happy to answer any questions you have regarding the Seismic rolling doors and they can also provide you with a list of door options that may enhance your door project.
Alpines engineering staff can also take your door project measurements and in a very expeditious time period provide you with a computer drawing detailing the configuration of your door as it would mount to the door opening and structure.
