Rebuilding The Bay Bridge

One important consideration when devising a construction project in the Bay Area is the ability of the structure to withstand destructive seismic forces. If a structure is seismically unsound, there can be disastrous consequences. When the Loma Pietra earthquake of 1989 rocked San Francisco and Oakland, many structures failed, including homes in the Marina district that were knocked off their foundations, sections of the I-880 freeway that collapsed, and the upper deck of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge that crashed onto its lower deck on the eastern span of the bridge. As the area looked to rebuild, professionals in the construction field, from engineers to Bay Area commercial concrete contractors, came together to ensure the repairs and new construction met high seismic safety standards.