DVIDS – News – Two years after the earthquake, military reform projects continue as the United States Corps of Engineers (USACE) reflects on response efforts

The ground rumbled for 90 seconds. Power outage. Trees, lampposts and buildings swayed back and forth. Two years ago, Southcentral Alaska began Friday with its largest earthquake in more than a decade.

With the epicenter about 10 miles north of Anchorage, the Cook Inlet recorded a magnitude 7.1 and shook most of Alaska’s population on the morning of November 30, 2018. First responders began to act, but once the dust settled in the US Army Corps of Engineers – the Alaska region emerged as a reliable military partner It inspects and repairs the infrastructure at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

“The response efforts in the aftermath of this emergency are testament to the exploratory mindset of the Corps and its partners wanted to operate in Alaska,” said Colonel Damon Dellarosa, Alaska District Commander. “I hope we never have to experience another potential disaster, but if it does, I know we will be prepared.”

A few days after the natural disaster struck, the organization appointed a structural assessment team to inspect the facilities for damage to the facility. Augmented by personnel from the Honolulu District of USACE and Baltimore County’s 71st Advanced Engineering Support Team, the group investigated 392 buildings between December 2018 and January 2019.

None of the facilities examined have been condemned, but 10 buildings have been identified for major repairs with a total value of approximately $ 27 million in work. On that list are the JBER People center, 673 Air Force Base Wing headquarters, and a contracting facility. The project management team between the USACE and the 673rd Civilian Engineers Squadron of the Air Force are implementing these unique, ongoing projects. So far, two have been completed and the rest are slated for completion in 2021.

“These are not typical building projects, or retrofits,” said Captain Joanna Schell, the Alaska District Project Manager overseeing the earthquake repair effort. “We ran into the challenge of determining what was, in fact, earthquake-induced or damage and wear-and-tear of a building over 60 years old.”

Building 8517 was built in 1953, known as the Personnel Center, and serves as a major turning point for members of the Army, the Ministry of Defense, and their families in the installation. The structure includes vital personnel functions such as entry and exit processing, ID cards, officer and registrar records; Personnel management for reassignment operations, family travel, and other soldier actions; And a retirement office.

During the 2018 earthquake, walls inside the building collapsed and some exterior walls cracked from the foundation to the roof line. In total, the damages cost approximately $ 4 million. The project was completed in October 2020. It was important to the project management and contractor team to meet the challenge of balancing the fixtures’s need for durability in the people center and across all repair efforts.

“We understand the importance of these facilities and the mission of the soldiers and airmen associated with them,” Schell said. “We have included end-users of these facilities, such as the People Center, in the construction timeline conversations to ensure that the business does not interfere as much as possible.”

These discussions allowed contractors to work on parts of the building while the employees were still able to use the facility to do their jobs.

While the 2018 event was a major natural disaster, all buildings requiring attention survived the 1964 earthquake that recorded a magnitude of 9.2 and shook south-central Alaska for about five minutes. It is a testament to the heritage of engineering, design, and construction practices that many of these facilities share.

“From a structural point of view, these buildings are fairly well assembled,” said Jeff Farley, the project manager in the 673rd Civil Engineers Squadron. “If you were to go back and examine the original built drawings that were produced in the 1950s, the personnel center, headquarters building, and contracting facility were basically the same floor plan.”

While customizations and maintenance options have been made at the facilities over the years, the life of the materials inside is close to 70 years. Therefore, it was surprising that there was no further damage during the last earthquake, Farley added.

He said, “None of the damage was life threatening.” “It’s a big concern, but we’re still able to get there to make corrective repairs before they get more serious.”

The partnership between USACE and the Air Force was a critical component of these successful construction efforts, and enables these facilities to last for a few more decades. Farley said it was essential to carry out the mission efficiently, using everyone’s strengths and experiences and with the same goal and results in mind.

“The goal was to support mission readiness and provide a safe, usable facility for installation,” said Shell. “I think this is something the team has provided and will continue as these projects continue into the next year.”

Pick up date: 11.30.2020 Publish date: 11.30.2020 19:47 STORY ID: 383973 LOCATION: JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US HOMELESS: ANCHORAGE, AK, US PUBLIC DOMAIN

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