L.A. City Council Approves Stricter Standards For Fixing Newer Buildings Damaged By Major Quakes

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles City Council approved stricter standards Tuesday for repairing newer buildings damaged by major earthquakes or other disasters.

The city had required that damaged buildings built after 2011 only needed to be fixed to meet at least 75 percent of the code requirements. Under the new rules, repairs must meet 100 percent of the codes.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said the measure is the last to be adopted as part of his earthquake-preparedness plan, which was created with the input of seismologist Lucy Jones of the U.S. Geological Survey.

The plan also calls for mandatory retrofitting of older soft-story and concrete non-ductile buildings considered to be especially prone to collapsing during an earthquake.

"Los Angeles is making good on its promise to take action before 'Big One' hits," Garcetti said. "The Substantial Structural Damage Ordinance passed by the City Council today will further protect Angelenos from unsafe living conditions by requiring seismic retrofit, rather than mere repair, of buildings that experience major damage in an earthquake."

Structural damage could come in the form of cracks, jammed windows or bouncy floors, according to Garcetti's office.

Garcetti also suggested that soft-story building owners attend the Seismic Retrofit Resource Fair on April 7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Those interested should email resilience@lacity.org to register.

Jones, who is retiring from the USGS, will be recognized Wednesday morning by the Los Angeles City Council, which is declaring a day in her honor.