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Richard Piatt ReportingHawaii's earthquake is a jarring reminder that Utah is also quake-prone. Behind the scenes here, there are constant choices about how to invest in being prepared, especially when it comes to public buildings.
Hawaii's earthquake created relatively minor damage, toppling ceilings and parts of some buildings. There were landslides and power outages, predictable earthquake by products.
Harder to predict is how buildings will do in even a minor tremor. In Utah, there are a lot of buildings that just are not earthquake-ready.
Bob Carey, Utah Division of Homeland Security:"If we looked at the Hawaii event, which is similar to the Northridge event, and put it in a populated area, it's significant."
Of all the things about an earthquake that are hard to predict, one thing is not -- unreinforced masonry and brick buildings won't do well even in a mild quake. Along the Wasatch Front there are about 200-thousand standing today.
Countless stores, apartments, homes and even office buildings fall into that category. There are also outdated steel structures, like Salt Lake International's Terminal One, that are not quake-resistant.
Tracking even the common small tremors, seismologists can see disaster on the horizon.
Jim Pechmann, Univ. of Utah Seismologist: "I think it's extremely important that buildings that are not seismically safe either be torn down or strengthened."
Retrofitting a building is expensive. At the University of Utah, the Marriott Library is getting seismic upgrade for $77 million dollars. The State Capitol's renovation will cost $172-million. Both buildings are also getting extensive safety and technology updates.
Larry Reaveley, Structural Engineer: "By the time you do all that, you've spent almost what it takes to build a new building."
That is one reason the LDS church is electing to demolish the Inn at temple Square and First Security Bank buildings in its downtown renovation project. Safety and cost are clearly as big a reality as the earthquakes themselves are.
The Church is still listening to advocates of saving the First Security building before making a decision.
