Fairbanks International Airport Seismic Evaluation
Fairbanks, Alaska.

USKH performed a seismic evaluation for the airport terminal building, which had undergone multiple major additions over the past four decades. The evaluation was per request by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities in order to go forward with the design of a major improvements project for the older portions of the terminal. USKH began the seismic risk investigation using the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), "Handbook for the Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings," (FEMA 310), and performing a Tier 1 Analysis. In addition to the seismic evaluation, USKH also conducted a life-safety code review. At the culmination of the cursory review project, USKH was asked to perform a detailed analysis for the seismic risk and the code compliance. The objective of the investigations was to determine if the existing terminal should be rehabilitated or replaced within the context of their long-range plan.

The detailed investigation included an extended site visit to confirm the existing conditions conformed to the as-built drawings and it included some limited materials testing.  USKH engineers discovered several serious discrepancies that significantly reduced the capacity of the building. One of the last sections of our final report listed areas in the building that are most vulnerable to a significant earthquake and the type of damage that could be expected.  Only days after the report was submitted, Alaska was rocked by a 7.9 earthquake known as the “Denali Fault Incident.”  Interestingly, the airport staff noted damage at the terminal exactly as we had described in the report.

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