Tall Buildings In Quake Zone No Big Risk

As buildings rise higher than the maximum height allowed by building codes, the risks to insurers writing earthquake coverage or liability insurance for design engineers and building owners do not necessarily rise as well.

By separating the myth from the reality of building codes, and by examining the rigor of testing nontraditional design solutions for dealing with the lateral forces imposed by earthquake ground shaking and high winds, insurers can better understand the true risks inherent in buildings rising above the maximum height of 240 feet allowed by some building codes, such as the Uniform Building Code.