(Amended by Ord. No. 171,939, Eff. 4/15/98.)
The purpose of this division is to promote public safety and welfare by reducing the risk of death or injury that may result from the effects of earthquakes on unreinforced masonry bearing wall buildings constructed before 1934. Such buildings have been widely recognized for their sustaining of life hazardous damage as a result of partial or complete collapse during past moderate to strong earthquakes.
The provisions of this division are minimum standards for structural seismic resistance established primarily to reduce the risk of loss of life or injury and will not necessarily prevent loss of life or injury or prevent earthquake damage to an existing building which complies with these standards. This division shall not require existing electrical, plumbing, mechanical or fire-safety systems to be altered unless they constitute a hazard to life or property.
This division provides systematic procedures and standards for identification and classification of unreinforced masonry bearing wall buildings based on their current use. Priorities, time periods and standards are also established under which these buildings are required to be structurally analyzed and anchored. Where the analysis determines deficiencies, this division requires the building to be strengthened or demolished.