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2017 IMAGES OF AREAS AFFECTED BY THE M7.1 CENTRAL MEXICO EARTHQUAKE
EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI DAMAGE

MRP Engineering visited central Mexico following the 2017 M7.1 earthquake with other structural engineers from the Pacific Northwest. The following images show examples of observed damage.

All photos taken by Mark R. Pierepiekarz.

Scroll over the thumbnails below to see full-size images.

Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
La Condesa - Example of a pre-1985 reinforced concrete frame building failure. Typical issues included: impact with adjacent structures, inadequate reinforcement of concrete members, or twisting of irregularly shaped structures.

Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
La Condesa - Close-up of a mid-story collapse of a reinforced concrete residential building in La Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City.

Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
Transito Area - This nine-story reinforced concrete office building with flat-slab construction experienced a partial collapse at the fifth floor. Some building columns were repaired following the 1985 earthquake.

 Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
Transito Area - Close-up of mid-height collapse in an office building. Note that some building columns were repaired following the 1985 earthquake.

Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
Reforma Area - Damaged 12-story building with reinforced concrete bracing. Adjacent businesses are closed since the entire city block was closed off.
Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
Reforma Area - Close-up of a damaged 12-story building. Note concrete braced frame members and unreinforced brick walls.

Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
Portales Sur Area - Ground level collapse of a four-story concrete frame building.

Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
Portales Sur Area - Damaged unreinforced masonry (URM) building affected adjacent businesses.


Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
This 1978-vintage one-story department store in Coapa experienced extensive damage to its façade and contents.

Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
A regional mall in Coapa was closed due to extensive damage to pedestrian bridges, non-strucutral systems, and façades. The lateral systems included steel braced frames.


Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
Coyoacan (Coapa) -Multi-family residential structures commonly include concrete framing with infill masonry walls. The masonry walls are lightly reinforced or unreinforced.

Photo: M. Pierepiekarz
Coyoacan (Coapa) - Close-up of damage to masonry walls and adjacent concrete framing.



 

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