Page 8 - FY Annual Report 2017-18

Strengthening the seismic response:

BUILDING SERVICES

STAFF PREPARES FOR
EARTHQUAKE ACTIVITY

Results of a new seismic study were released in March of FY
2017–18, and the news for Washington County is not good.

The study, conducted by the Oregon Department of Geology and
Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), predicts the epicenter of a Portland
Hills Fault earthquake will be in the Cedar Mill area. Damage from
a magnitude 6.8 Portland Hills earthquake is expected to be over
twice that of a Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) quake, as the Port-
land Hills fault area is heavily populated and developed.

While a Portland Hills quake is less likely than a CSZ quake, LUT’s
Building Services section is taking no chances.

“People don’t always think of building departments as emergency
responders,” said Scott Linfesty, Building Official. “The reality is
we’re among the first on the scene. It’s our building engineers who
will be making sure critical buildings are safe for occupancy.”

In the aftermath of an earthquake, building engineers across the
state are assigned critical buildings to assess first. LUT building
engineers are assigned to the Washington County Charles D. Cam-
eron Public Services Building and the Washington County Jail.
They will also assist with assessing other essential buildings such
as Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and area fire stations.

Continued on page 7

5 | Partnering for the Future LUT Annual Report FY 2017–18 Gary Nielson, Building Engineer; Scott Linfesty, Building Official; Kofi Nelson-Owusu, Building Engineer