50th Anniversary of the February 9, 1971 San Fernando Earthquake
Experts available to share historical insights and earthquake resiliency
WHAT: On February 9, 1971, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck in San Fernando, CA at 6 a.m. The quake caused severe damage to lifeline infrastructure systems including water, power and natural gas services as well as transportation, communication and building systems region-wide. Engineering knowledge gained from that day, and from other events in California and globally since that time, has improved building safety, dam safety, and infrastructure systems reliability in place today.
WHEN: Experts are available for interviews between now and February 9th, 2021. Virtual interviews are recommended in light of current COVID-19 conditions in LA County.
EXPERTS:
Martin Adams General Manager and Chief Engineer, LADWP
A 36-year veteran of the Department, Mr. Adams can provide historical perspective on the damage done to LADWP infrastructure, including to approximately 800 pipes and to the First and Second Los Angeles Aqueducts. He can share lessons learned as well as modern-day dam safety measures and other earthquake resiliency programs implemented by the department today. Prior to serving as General Manager and Chief Engineer, Mr. Adams served as Chief Operating Officer where he oversaw LADWP’s extensive water and power operations. Before becoming COO, he led the LADWP Water System as Senior Assistant General Manager overseeing water infrastructure, water resources and water quality.
Ertugrul Taciroglu Ph.D., M.ASCE, Chair, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering
Prof. Taciroglu is an expert on earthquake engineering and structural mechanics. His work spans the area of structural health monitoring, regional seismic risk assessment and soil-structure interaction. He led an effort to test, monitor and conserve the seismic integrity of Los Angeles’ historic Watts Towers.
Craig Davis Ph.D., P.E., G.E., C A Davis Engineering (Retired LADWP Chief Resilience Officer)
Dr. Davis is an expert in earthquake, geotechnical, and lifeline system engineering. He has extensively studied effects from the 1971 San Fernando and 1994 Northridge earthquakes on water and other infrastructure systems. During his 32-year career at the LADWP he served as the dam safety manager and developed the first infrastructure resilience program, which included innovations like implementing seismic pipelines to develop a resilient network.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Media are invited to attend a UCLA Samueli virtual webinar featuring prominent speakers at noon PST on Feb 9, 2021. There will be an opportunity for Q&A. Click here for more information and to register.
VISUALS: To download historical photos from the 1971 quake, click here. Attribution for photos requested.
CONTACTS: For Martin Adams and Craig Davis: Dawn Cotterell, dawn.cotterell@ladwp.com or 213-841-8269
For UCLA: Christine Wei-li Lee, clee@seas.ucla.edu or 310-709-9328
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