Field Act Public Schools … a Need for Safety Reviews

Abstract

The Field Act has enabled a higher design and construction requirement for California's public schools since 1933. Much has been learned of earthquake design and construction since the enactment of the Field Act. The design profession has found, from experience in actual earthquakes, that some types of construction and structural systems have less than desirable responses to earthquakes. Children and staff in some of these facilities may be at risk. This paper urges that some older Field Act-approved structures should be reviewed for seismic safety. Systems such as nonductile reinforced concrete frames and tilt-up concrete construction are at a high level of concern. Other concerns include deterioration of older school facilities, inappropriate modifications, and nonstructural items in schools built before modern codes addressed the potential for nonstructural damage. This paper reviews these issues and calls for statewide examination of older Field Act-approved public schools in order to determine the extent of public schools that might be at some level of seismic risk.