Seismic Base Isolation provides earthquake resilience for Oregon’s Treasury

When construction is complete on Oregon’s new State Treasury headquarters, the result will be both sustainable and resilient. The building will be healthy, energy efficient and, even more impressively, able to withstand a 9.0 earthquake with only minimal damage.

“Seismic base isolation allows a structure to act much like a boat on water during an earthquake,” Reid Zimmerman of KPFF Engineers said. “The building and its contents sway gently, even while the ground beneath shakes violently.”

The design achieved a Platinum Earthquake rating from the United States Resiliency Council. Check out the engineer’s earthquake analysis model in action.

– Shannon Parker, Pence Construction. E100 Sponsor