Full Description

The protection of precious water resources during major natural disasters such as earthquakes, remains one of the top priorities for municipalities in the United States and the world. As has clearly been demonstrated by recent events like the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, the Northridge earthquake of 1994 and the Kobe earthquake of 1995, demand for water generally increases after an earthquake due to additional needs for fire-fighting and sanitation and continuous consumption by the affected populace. This concern has been legislatively addressed by several Federal and California State Acts, including the Petris Bill (SB 1841--disaster preparedness for public water systems). Protecting water supplies is a highly complex issue, as it includes protection of natural resources such as rivers and lakes as well as water channels, pipelines, man-made reservoirs and distribution networks. While improved construction methods, selection of materials and structural reinforcement play a significant role in dealing with the seismic threat, this paper focuses on modern practical ways to protect water supplies by using seismic detection instrumentation and applied engineered control elements, such as actuator equipped valves, usually installed in the immediate vicinity of water reservoirs. Though such systems cannot prevent structural damage to pipelines and facilities, they play an important role in saving vital water resources once damage has already occurred.

Product Details

Published: 01/01/1995 ISBN(s): 0898678358 Number of Pages: 7File Size: 1 file , 260 KB