UC campuses prepare for future jolts
By Daily Bruin Staff
Jan. 23, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 MIKE JENNINGS Haines Hall is currently undergoing seismic
renovations to meet policy standards. Construction is expected to
be completed by May.
By Kimberley Ma
Daily Bruin Contributor
Last week’s 4.3 earthquake in the San Fernando Valley
reminded some of the need to ensure buildings are equipped to
withstand future jolts.
In 1988, the UC Board of Regents passed a policy requiring all
UC campus buildings to meet seismic standards. The board updated
the policy in 1995.
To meet these standards, UCLA plans to retrofit a series of
campus buildings. Currently, Haines Hall, which once housed the
sociology department, is under construction.
Haines, whose renovation is slated to be completed by May,
underwent construction beginning fall 1998, when the sociology
department was temporarily moved to Hershey Hall.
“To compensate for the classroom space lost due to
construction, we’ve built and restored classrooms in Hershey
Hall,” said Cynthia Ingham-Bachman, director of Capital
Planning within Capital Programs, which is in charge of the
renovations. “However, we have not been able to replace all
the classes.”
Sociology professor David Lopez said the department’s move
to Hershey is not inconvenient.
“Most of my colleagues are happy about the move to Hershey
Hall because the offices are nicer,” Lopez said. “There
are only two negative factors in our move. The first is limited
access to food, and second, we are quite far from the
library.”
The temporary move is appealing to the department because it is
away from the traffic of north campus and the atmosphere is more
pleasant, Lopez said.
“But some of us like the idea of being back with the other
social science buildings,” Lopez said. “We are just
concerned that their new office will not be as nice as the ones
here in Hershey.”
The seismic renovations do not include interior remodeling. The
new offices will look the same as they did before, except for a
coat of new paint and the retrofitting.
The overall cost of the all the renovations is $1.6 billion,
according to Ingham-Bachman. Funding for the renovations are
provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state dollars,
campus funds, and other funds.
Michael Reese, assistant vice president of strategies
communication of the UC Office of the President, said renovations
are funded mainly by a bond issue passed in 1998.
“Much of the reconstruction costs are financed by proceeds
provided by Proposition 1A. It is split three ways between the UCs
and California city and state colleges,” he said.
Other campus buildings that will eventually undergo seismic
retrofitting include Glorya Kaufman Hall, the Men’s Gym,
Kinsey Hall, John Wooden Center and Dickson Plaza.
“There will be a staging building built on Lot 32 to house
the office buildings for the groups that will be displaced due to
the construction,” said Steve Davey, facilities commissioner
of the Undergraduate Students Association Council.
In addition to all UC campus buildings, all California hospitals
must meet seismic policies passed by the state legislation. The
University operates five teaching hospitals ““ at UC San
Diego, Irvine, Davis, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
“These hospitals are subject to the legislature,”
Reese said. “There are a series of deadlines set, and the
ultimate deadline for all universities is 2030.”
At UCLA, the projected date of completion for all buildings,
including the hospital, is 2010, Ingham-Bachman said.
Earthquakes in California are inevitable and universities are
taking steps to prevent as much damage as possible.
“The renovations will help save lives,”
Ingham-Bachman said.
