When Solid Land Isn’t
Let’s recall 4th grade science class for a moment… At room temperature, solids behave as solids, liquids behave as liquids, and gases behave as gases. However, earthquakes can temporarily alter that perception of reality in some areas through a phenomena known as liquefaction, which pertains to the failure or loss of ground strength causing otherwise solid soils to temporarily behave like a viscous liquid when certain conditions preexist.
Liquefaction occurs in water-saturated unconsolidated soils affected by secondary seismic waves (S-waves) which cause ground vibrations during earthquakes. Poorly drained, fine-grained soils such as sandy, silty, and gravelly soils are the most susceptible to this phenomena and the results can be, quite literally, unsettling.
The most common effect of liquefaction, especially in developed urban areas built on reclaimed lands, is the ground’s loss of bearing strength which can cause structures not firmly planted upon bedrock or highly compacted soils to begin sinking into the ground.
The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.
CREED LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans. To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.