Governor responds to seismic safety concerns at Cabrillo

Peter Finegan
PO Box 1936
Aptos, CA 95001

November 26, 2007

To Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, State of California,

While attending Cabrillo College ten years ago in Santa Cruz County and writing for college newspaper, I noticed serious structural problems with several campus buildings, especially the gymnasium and high-tech center, which could pose a serious hazard to its occupants if a devastating earthquake should occur. I have written to the two previous college presidents regarding this serious problem, yet my complaints have merely resulted in a cosmetic cover-up of what could become colossal seismic tombs. Given what I have learned, no one can make structures impervious to the devastating effects of an earthquake, however, when problems are identified with integrity, public institutions can certainly mitigate potential harm to life and limb.

Specifically, I observed contiguous cracking through the brick stack walls that stretched from the floor to the ceiling in both structures. Before the college white-washed the interior walls inside the gym, the contiguous cracking through the brick stacks and mortar could be seen upon regular intervals approximately six inches away on both sides of the prepressed I-beams that are attached to these brick walls. The same situation presented itself inside the high-tech center, where the college apparently "solved" the problem by softly abrading the cracking and covering it up with some mortar plastering.

As I watch the college spend another round of public bond money on new structures, while neglecting these serious seismic safety issues, I would like to postulate a serious theory that might convince the college to take another hard look at past decisions and coerce the state of California to believe that this critical issue is not unique to just Cabrillo College.

My theory is that the structural steel within these brick stacks are compromised much like an aging person suffering from osteoporosis. Let me quickly explain alkaline chlorosis that I believe is afflicting this structures, many which were built 45-55 years ago during the public building boom embarked by the former California governor Edmund Brown.

What I learned while studying similar problems at Humboldt State University and interviewing a building engineer named Ted Anvick, unsealed masonry structures such as the gym and high-tech center at Cabrillo, absorb air and moisture, and such buildings and structures in close proximity to ocean air are prone to an excess intake of salt chlorides.

Sucking in these chlorides like a sponge, the structural rebar becomes more alkaline, and slowly deteriorates the rebar. The interior steel flakes away in sequential layers, and eventually makes the steel separate from the cement.

The end result is that the steel framework which ties these brick stacks together is compromised, the structure loses ductility (ability to flex or stretch with subtle or dramatic movement), and the buildings, without the original integrity of the steel rebar skeleton, are prone to catastrophic collapse of these brick stacks should a large enough earthquake occur. I believe the cracking that I previously observed may be a combination of both alkaline chlorosis and physical movement caused by the Loma Prieta quake of 1989. I believe that at the time of the 1989 earthquake the full effects of alkaline chlorosis had not been fully consummated because it typically takes about fifty years for the full manifestation of this chemical and physical process, and in 1989, the college was just thirty years old. When building engineers were conducting failure analysis of the Cypress Freeway collapse in 1989, alkaline chlorosis was identified as the primary underlying cause of destruction. The cement overpass was not sealed with moisture barrier, much like the apartment structures that "pancaked" in Kobe, Japan after the earthquake there.

So given this theory, my intellectual challenge to Cabrillo College and the state of California is to prove me wrong, and convince me that it is safe to attend school again, because I have not yet graduated from college, and I am tired of working dead-end jobs. However, if college and state takes another look at these structures and acknowledges how right I am, these structures should be closed immediately due to safety concerns, and plans should be outlined on how to best seismically retrofit what I believe are delinquent buildings overdue for serious retrofitting or demolition. I sincerely believe that if an esteemed public institution such as Cabrillo College summons the courage to face this grave problem, other public entities, especially K-12 schools and the states' universities, will follow. California has made great efforts to retrofit its bridges on roads and freeways, where motorists spend mere seconds passing, however, state students spend countless hours in these compromised structures, and our most priceless commodity, human lives, are jeopardized by these flaky cement buildings. If the college deems these buildings unsafe, I would be happy to put up the yellow caution tape free of charge.

Sincerely,
Peter L Finegan
former editor-in-chief, Cabrillo Voice, 1996


cc Santa Cruz Sentinel
Brian King, Cabrillo College President


Office of the Governor
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Sacramento, CA 95814
January 16, 2008

Dear Mr Finegan,

Thank you for sharing your views with me on structural problems on college campuses.

California was built by the ingenuity and hard work of people who had the courage to put pen to paper and ideas into action. Our great state continues to thrive because of the involvement and commitment of its people.

As your governor, I greatly appreciate hearing from my constituents. Taking the time to communicate your opinions and offer suggestions is essential to good government. Your concern shows that California's people are engaged in the issues that affect the well-being of our state.

Sincerely, Arnold Schwarzenegger