Perfomance of four corrugated metal pipes during the 1994 Northridge earthquake

During the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake four corrugated metal pipes at the Lower San Fernando Dam were subjected to strong near-source shaking. Two 2.4m diameter pipes sustained damage, one of them was subjected to complete lateral collapse, while two 1.5m diameter pipes withstood the shaking without any damage. Site investigations were perfomance to help determine the difference in seismic response. A portion of the dam east of the 2.4m diameter Drain Line no.1 liquefied, but may not have significantly contributed to its collapse. The failure of this drain line was characterized by complete lateral collapse and the development of a sinkhole over its alignment. A pseudo-static analysis revealed that the vertical earthquake acceleration was also not the main source of collapse. Evaluation of the perfomance of these drain lines provides a unique opportunity to study the sismic response of flexible buried drains and culverts.(AU)

[The death of foundlings, a drama in two acts]. / La mort des enfants trouvés, un drame en deux actes.

Around 1750 society grows aware of the high mortality of abandoned infants: enlightened physicians and administrators attempt to remedy this disaster and put the blame on the country wet nurses who took in the foundlings. A large number of contemporary historians have incritically contented themselves with repeating these reproaches. This article constitutes an attempt to rehabilitate country wet nurses. According to the authors, the infants were victims of the circumstances of being abandoned. An analysis based on a list of names does show that the most obvious causes for the high mortality rate of the foundlings were the close incidents surrounding the fact of being abandoned whereas it can rarely be explained by the living conditions at a wet nurse's. In the background, an original rural society emerges in a poor country taking in infants constitutes a real business. This study represents but one stage at the core of a developing research.

Geotechnical observations at the Van Norman Complex after the 1994 Northridge earthquake

The January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake severely shook the Van Norman Complex, in the northern San Fernando Valley. Throughout the complex, sand boils, liquefaction induced lateral spreading, and ground cracks were observed. The Upper and Lower San Fernando hydraulic fill dams displayed substantial cracking, settlement and lateral movement. One small dike failed at the San Fernando Tailrace Channel at the northern end of the site. Six rolled fill embankments, including the Los Angeles Reservoir, underwent measurable movement.(AU)

An assessment of the two - dimensional and wave propagation effects on the site response of the Marina District of San Francisco during the Loma Prieta earthquake

This report summarizes our findings on the site response of the Marina District during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Our objectives are to describe the dynamic response of the Marina District by applying the site response analysies used in engineering practice, and to complete these analyses by using advanced techniques capable of accounting for two-and three-dimensional geometry and wave-propagation effects.(AU)