Verdict Rendered

by David P. Swanson, P.E., Reid Middleton, Everett, WA,
Kylie K. Yamasuka, P.E., Reid Middleton, Everett, WA,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 2000, Vol. 70, Issue 11, Pg. 62-65


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

After the Grays Harbor County Courthouse in Montesano, Washington, was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1999, the surrounding community decided to preserve it. A design/build approach was taken so that the courthouse could be partly reopened for business after 41 days. To protect the historic building while it was being stabilized, it was shored up and its clock tower wrapped with a weatherproof curtain. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 178 and 273 criteria were combined to determine the building's seismic fitness and the design for its rehabilitation, which included adding shear walls inside the building and strengthening the connections of the clock tower's braced frames.

Subject Headings: Government buildings | Building design | Shear walls | Seismic design | Federal government | Building management | Sustainable development

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