Chapter 15.32
SEISMIC HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM
Sections:
15.32.010 Purpose.
15.32.020 Definitions.
15.32.030 Scope of program.
15.32.040 Building categories and notification.
15.32.050 Responsibilities of the building owners.
15.32.060 Program status report to the city council.
15.32.070 Report to the State Seismic Safety Commission.
15.32.080 Remedies.
15.32.010 Purpose.
It is found that in the event of a strong or moderate local earthquake, loss of life or serious injury may result from damage to or collapse of buildings in the city. It is generally acknowledged that the city of Foster City will experience earthquakes in the future due to its proximity to both the San Andreas and Hayward Faults. The purpose of this chapter is to promote public safety by identifying those buildings in the city which exhibit structural deficiencies and by accurately determining the severity and extent of those deficiencies in relation to their potential for causing loss of life or injury. The city council finds it desirable to identify the hazards that these deficiencies may pose to occupants of buildings and pedestrians in the event of an earthquake. Such a seismic hazards identification program is consistent with the State Unreinforced Masonry Law of 1986. (Ord. 364 § 3 (part), 1989)
15.32.020 Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
1. “Bearing wall” means any wall supporting a floor or roof where the total superimposed load exceeds one hundred pounds per linear foot, or any unreinforced masonry wall supporting its own weight when over six feet in height.
2. “Building” for the purpose of determining occupant load, means any contiguous or interconnected structure. For the purpose of engineering evaluation, means the entire structure or portion thereof which will respond to seismic forces as a unit.
3. “Capacity of transfer” means the maximum allowable capacity of a structural system or connection to resist in a ductile manner the lateral forces it would encounter due to earthquake forces.
4. “Civil engineer” or “structural engineer” means a licensed civil or structural engineer registered by the State of California pursuant to the rules and regulations of Title 16, Chapter 5 of the California Administrative Code.
5. “External hazard” means an object attached to or forming the exterior facade of a building which may fall onto pedestrians or occupants of adjacent buildings or structures. Examples of this type of hazard include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Nonstructural exterior wall panels, such as masonry infill or decorative precast concrete;
b. Parapets;
c. Marquees, awnings or other roof-like projections;
d. Masonry or stone wall veneer;
e. Masonry chimneys;
f. Tile roofing;
g. Wall signs and exterior lighting fixtures;
h. Fire escapes or balconies.
6. “Geometry” means a building’s shape or configuration, including setbacks or wall/column lines, reentrant corners, discontinuities in vertical and horizontal lateral force diaphragms, open storefront and building stiffness variations due to the distribution of resisting elements or the use of materials of differing properties within the same structural element, or other irregularities in plan or elevation.
7. “Occupants” means the total occupant load of a building determined by Table 33-A of the currently adopted Uniform Building Code or the actual maximum number of occupants in that building if that number is less than seventy-five percent of the number determined by using the table. The number of actual occupants may be documented by counting actual seating capacity if permanent seating is provided in the occupancy, or by the employee and client counts which can be substantiated as a practical maximum use of the space in the building. The building official will establish the procedure for documenting occupant load.
8. “Solution” means any justifiable method that will provide for the transfer of lateral forces through a system or connection to a degree which will substantially eliminate a potential collapse failure. A general description of the methods and materials to be used shall be included in sufficient detail to allow for a cost estimate of the solution to be made (i.e. adding shear walls, overlaying horizontal diaphragms, strengthening critical connections, etc.)
9. “Unreinforced masonry” (URM) means any walls or other structural members constructed wholly or partially with any of the following:
a. Unreinforced brick masonry;
b. Unreinforced concrete masonry;
c. Hollow clay tile;
d. Adobe or unburned clay masonry;
e. Unreinforced glass blocks.
(Ord. 364 § 3 (part), 1989)
15.32.030 Scope of program.
A. Applicability. The building inspection division shall inspect the following type buildings to create a list of suspect buildings which by nature or extent of structural deficiencies could result in collapse or partial collapse of the building or by nature of extent of deficiencies in anchoring of external hazards:
1. Buildings constructed of unreinforced masonry;
2. Buildings constructed prior to January 1, 1935 containing more than ninety-nine occupants;
3. Buildings constructed prior to August 1, 1976 containing three hundred or more occupants.
B. Exemptions. The following buildings need not comply with this chapter.
1. Buildings whose uses are subject to amortization under this code; provided that, upon the termination of the nonconforming use, such a building shall be required to be rehabilitated to the then current lateral force requirements in the current adopted Uniform Building Code prior to occupancy by a conforming use.
2. Buildings which have been structurally upgraded in substantial accordance with either the Los Angeles Division 88 Standard for URM buildings or the 1973 or later, edition of the Uniform Building Code. (Ord. 364 § 3 (part), 1989)
15.32.040 Building categories and notification.
A. Building categories. The categories of building types within the scope of this chapter are set forth in Table A of this section.
B. Owner notification. The owners of buildings in Categories I through III, except those designated as historic buildings, shall be notified within six months of enactment of this program by the building inspection division of the city that their building is suspect by nature or the extent of structural deficiencies that could result in the collapse or partial collapse of the building or by the nature or extent of deficiencies in the anchoring of external hazards.
TABLE A
|
CATEGORY |
DESCRIPTION |
NOTIFICATION WITHIN |
|---|---|---|
|
I |
All URM buildings |
6 months. |
|
II |
All buildings constructed prior to 1935 with 99 occs. or more. |
6 months. |
|
III |
All buildings constructed prior to 1976 with 100 occs. or more |
6 months. |
(Ord. 364 § 3 (part), 1989)
15.32.050 Responsibilities of the building owners.
A. Notification of the Building Tenants. A building owner shall notify all tenants, in writing, within thirty days of receipt of notice from the city, that their building may be potentially hazardous in the event of an earthquake.
B. Notification of the City. A building owner shall provide copies of each letter sent to the tenants of buildings reported as potentially hazardous. (Ord. 364 § 3 (part), 1989)
15.32.060 Program status report to the city council.
The building official shall submit a semiannual report to the city council on the status of the seismic hazards identification program. The report shall include information regarding the number of suspect buildings and their current status. (Ord. 364 § 3 (part), 1989)
15.32.070 Report to the State Seismic Safety Commission.
The building official shall submit a report to the State Seismic Safety Commission which shall include the following:
A. A list of the number of buildings identified and the total square footage, broken down by use.
B. A summary of the mitigation program implemented by the city with copies of the program and any ordinances attached to the summary.
C. A summary of the status of the mitigation program listing the number of building owners notified, number of buildings strengthened and if the city offered any incentive programs to the building owners.
D. Suggestions regarding how the state programs could be improved. (Ord. 364 § 3 (part), 1989)
15.32.080 Remedies.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of a building identified as being in the scope of this chapter to fail to notify the tenants of said building regarding potential collapse hazards or external hazards within the time period specified in Section 15.32.050.
A. A building owner found in violation of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor, and each such person shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day or portion thereof during which any violation of any of the provisions of this code is committed, continued or permitted, and upon conviction of any such violation such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars or by imprisonment of not more than ninety days, or both such fine and imprisonment.
B. These remedies are not exclusive. (Ord. 364 § 3 (part), 1989)