WSDOT’s Alaskan Way Viaduct earthquake-simulation video

According to the YouTube stats an hour ago, few had seen that rather nightmarish simulation of Earthquake Vs. Viaduct online before Robert tweeted about it (and posted about it in the WSB Forums) within the past hour – even though YT says it was posted online on Friday. Turns out it was the subject of the newest item (posted around 9 tonight) on the WSDOT Blog, with guest author Ron Paananen, who’s been heading up the viaduct-replacement project. He wrote, “The specter of another major earthquake … is always present. That is why we are determined to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct before Mother Nature makes the decision for us.” Even if the current tunnel proposal follows the timeline that’s been outlined so far, The Viaduct is still scheduled to stay in service until 2016; results from this weekend’s safety inspections are due to go public by Friday. MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: The viaduct project’s communications team says, in an overall update just e-mailed, that the video is based on a 2007 report but is being made public now in response to “a public disclosure request.” The update also includes more information on the forthcoming emergency-closure system that was announced over the weekend – see it here.

grr October 26, 2009 (12:01 am)

That’s some fancy damn animation. Woulda been cooler with music and sound effects :)
–
looks to me like soil liquification is a MUCH bigger issue that is the root cause of all the other failures. If the ground goes, so goes everything above it or near it.

I’m certainly for a ‘tunnel’ option, tho, I’d opt for one that runs under 5th Ave instead…The Seawall certainly needs to be addressed.

Scott October 26, 2009 (12:05 am)

Your tax dollars at work! How much have they spent on traveling to Japan, research, computer aided graphics, etc?
Seattle Government SUCKS.
Looks like we need to retro-fit the piers too…
Media loves to sensationalize with fear (Y2K, Murder, robberies, Swine Flu, Bird flu, lead paint) can’t wait to pay 60% taxes so the people that don’t want to work can live in a nicer house than me and the government can research for decades while prohibiting growth.

Full Tilt October 26, 2009 (12:24 am)

I am with Scott. How dare our gumment research something.

WSB October 26, 2009 (12:24 am)

A tiny data point of which I suspect you’re aware but for anyone else dropping by … WSDOT made and posted the video and is a state agency, not city, headquartered in Olympia.
http://wsdot.wa.gov
.
Having been in media a gazillion years, I flinch a bit at your point about sensationalism (don’t forget SARS and West Nile!), but nonetheless, the fact is that the government made this video, with your dollars and mine, and that is news all by itself … TR

TK October 26, 2009 (1:19 am)

Well, at least there’s no tsunami. LOL!!!

Rick October 26, 2009 (5:49 am)

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Give me your billions and I’ll make it stop!

Sue October 26, 2009 (7:07 am)

TK, when I saw the part about no tsunami, I wondered for a minute why they didn’t just make it a feature film with tsunamis and all kinds of other horrors, as long as they were at it. If they wanted to make it *really* scary, instead of 8:30 on a summer evening, they could’ve depicted 5pm on a weekday when an early afternoon Mariners game was letting out. :)

Bald Guy October 26, 2009 (8:04 am)

My goodness, do you suppose releasing “Earthquake 2009” (sans “SENSE-SURROUND”) one week before the mayoral election is a nifty coincidence? Think “View Condos” when you see piles of viaduct.

Wsm October 26, 2009 (8:45 am)

What’s the point of this video? All they had to do was show pictues of the collapsed freeway in San Fran. I suspect the entire roadway would fail in an earthquake that bad.

tika October 26, 2009 (8:49 am)

The viaduct video just proves the stakeholder committee was right! The viaduct has to come down and the tunnel plan delays bringing the viaduct down for years! McGinn is right – get it down asap.

I am peeved that WSDOT saved this video for TWO years before releasing it.

MJ October 26, 2009 (8:52 am)

I just don’t get why this was even made. It looks like it’s sensationalized (although the reality would probably be similar) and when I saw it last night I was just completely confused on the necessity for this.

I think everyone in government and not know the impact of a powerful earthquake on this structure. To spend any dollars to graphically show it seems ridiculous.

I would love to know the “why”….

wseye October 26, 2009 (9:32 am)

Tika: You are mistaken, almost none of the stakeholders endorsed the nutty surface plan that McGinn is supporting. In fact most were adamantly against the idea. On the other hand, the bored tunnel and transit solution that is being developed got overwhelming support from the stakeholders.

OP October 26, 2009 (9:32 am)

This will shock some who see me comment here, but the video doesn’t go far enough. I was in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake and the Nisqually (of course). After the Nisqually, I was amazed to look out of my then Pioneer office window and see the Viaduct still standing. We will not be so lucky next time. And there will be a next time too. When that time comes, and the quake occurs at a more shallow depth in the earth’s crust (say half of the Nisqually, whcih was some 30 miles) than the Viaduct will be a mass graveyard as the Cypress Structure was in Oakland. The two roadways are almost indentical in structure. It is entirely possible in my unprofessional opinion that the enture Viaduct would collapse. And what are we doing about it? Dithering. Hemming and hawing. Arguing about this option or that option. What needs to happen is simple: Build the damn replacement. And now. Not next year. Not by 2016. Now. Right effing now. Because God forbid the next big quake hits during rush hour or rush just before a Mariners or Seahawks game.

MargL October 26, 2009 (9:55 am)

My first thought was – geeze how much money did WSDOT spend on this?
We -know- the viaduct is going to come down already tho’ adding the seawall effects does remind us it’s not just about replacing the road – it’s about holding back the water, too. Even if they didn’t do anything with the viaduct we’d be arguing about how to replace the seawall.
I wonder if once the company that made the other tunnel videos (http://www.pbprojectviz.com/) had all the 3D models in place it wasn’t hard to add additional variables to do the earthquake stuff.
Aaaand I think it’s pretty funny about how KING5 has an “Exclusive” tag on their story time stamped 11:48PM when WSB’s story is timestamped 11:44PM :-D

WSB October 26, 2009 (10:07 am)

WSDOT has just sent one of its catch-all “viaduct project updates” that goes to media and who knows who else. In it, they mention the release of this video, and explain: “We are releasing this video now in response to a public disclosure request.” Reviewing the bulletin for any other tidbits …
.
PS Re: the “exclusive,” I was told later last night that this aired on the 11 pm KING news (which means it probably aired at 10 as well, since those shows have lots of overlap) but still, it was posted on YouTube Friday and on the WSDOT Blog around 9 pm Sunday. Which KING may not have known – especially if they were the ones who filed the disclosure request (though I don’t know that, I’ll be asking) … TR

kstineback October 26, 2009 (10:23 am)

WOW, shocking. I bet Scott will be the first one to say “Why didn’t the government do something about this earlier!?” when we have the next big one and this happens. Come on people! I don’t care what the solution is (tunnel, no tunnel) but please, tear this hazard down ASAP!

chas redmond October 26, 2009 (10:28 am)

From the video it appears that Colman Dock will be completely cut off from the rest of Seattle’s grid. What is WSDOT got up their sleeves with respect to ferry transit in the event of an earthquake – might be worth a follow-up WSB. Is there a back-up dock they can use near Pier 91 – or somewhere on Harbor Island?

dawsonct October 26, 2009 (10:40 am)

…And this is why I speed on the viaduct.
Sure the views are great, but you are driving! Keep your eyes on the road! Even if you are a passenger and your driver is slow, you only get a couple of minutes on the death-trap, it would make more sense to tear the thing down and put up a series of observation towers. Maybe leave a few columns in place and put platforms on top of them.
–
The waterfront will be so much nicer when the gray wall is gone. And for those whose only argument against tearing the thing down is that some landowner would suddenly be sitting on a much more valuable piece of property: get over your jealousy. You or your parents or grandparents could have used some foresight and purchased property there, but they didn’t. Deal with it.

rw October 26, 2009 (10:58 am)

Chas Redmond’s comment echoed my initial thoughts. But even if the ferry is able to dock, whether near downtown or on Harbor Island, where would cars be able to go? The best or only short-term solution might be people ferries, and rerouting car ferries to Fauntleroy or Mukilteo.

I know that the overall project plan includes rebuilding/repairing the seawalls. From the video the seawall failures looked like one of the key problems accentuating the viaduct damage. Why can’t this part of the project start ahead of the overall viaduct teardown/tunnel rebuild?

dawsonct October 26, 2009 (11:02 am)

Chas, you think the liquefaction on the waterfront looks bad? Wait until you see Harbor Island after this quake. It is ENTIRELY built on fill and will be one big mass of quicksand.
–
Good question on back-up plans for Coleman Dock, though. I suppose Fauntleroy would be the most sensible nearby alternative. That should make for some interesting traffic jams. (“ferry line starts at I-5!”)

wseye October 26, 2009 (11:44 am)

What was most interesting to me about the simulation is how the differential oscillation of the elevated structure of the viaduct creates the force that ultimately destroys it. This wouldn’t happen in a tunnel because every part of the tunnel would move along with the rest of the trembling earth at the same rate. That is why the 100 year old Burlington Northern tunnel under the city has withstood every tremor without a scratch during that period.

ltfd October 26, 2009 (12:33 pm)

Hey, where did my fire station go?

Eddie October 26, 2009 (1:26 pm)

Couldn’t make the bike commute along Alaska Way any worse. Might slow down some of those trucks.

OP October 26, 2009 (2:33 pm)

…And this is why I speed on the viaduct.
Amen! And if the officer wants to give me a ticket, he/she can do so once were off the structure.

Chris October 26, 2009 (2:55 pm)

It shouldn’t take a hypothetical cartoon to drive home the fact that almost 9 years after Nisqually, work hasn’t even begun to get this thing up to code by either upgrading, replacing, or re-planning. But in that time a monorail has been planned, funded, and canceled and a light-rail line has been fully realized.

In fact, the only reason there is finally a plan in place 8 years later is because Seattle’s elected leaders (i.e. her citizens) permitted the state to hold us hostage for cost-overruns on a state highway project. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of such a thing.

I love Seattle. It’s a beautiful place to live with wonderful people I am happy to call my friends. But there’s this weird cultural thing here where we play “I’m smarter than you” games with public safety. We need to cut it out and correct very serious public safety issues like these in a timely manner.

Kayleigh October 26, 2009 (3:53 pm)

Are the geologists and engineers sensationalizing the real risks of an earthquake here? Did I only imagine my desk moving around my office during the Nisqually quake? Does anybody really think the viaduct is going to make it through another significant earthquake and that we should spend more time in analysis paralysis?
.
Seriously?
.
Or do some of you just like to complain?

Brian October 26, 2009 (4:55 pm)

All of those folks who think that the animated video was expensive must do all of their computing on an abacus. what was done was childs play.

It surprised me when the Minneapolis bridge collapsed and everyone was shocked that NOTHING had been done to refit the old structure. We here in Seattle have a viaduct that is crumbling as we speak and are waiting until a catostrophic event to do something about it. even the watching of a video of what COULD happen upsets people.

Sheesh.

grr October 26, 2009 (5:39 pm)

well..when we make 1st Contact in 2012 and all get zappled by lazer beams, the viaduct won’t matter.
–

we get it October 26, 2009 (8:08 pm)

This video could be done for the West Seattle bridge connect over SODO on the way to I5 which is a known liquifaction zone and that bridge/highway isn’t much better. Heck, videos could be done all over the city. How about a video of a huge tsunami hitting Alki? Oh, yeah right we aren’t putting a tunnel in that area. We get it, the viaduct needs to come down and we live in an earthquake area yes we know. How about a video of what will happen to the deep bore tunnel when it sits above the fault line. Maybe they can do a cool cross-section with cars floating in the water unable to get out.

CountingCoup October 26, 2009 (8:37 pm)

The liquefaction of the landfill areas seem to be over dramatized, but great simulation.

Its only a matter of time ~ tic toc tic toc

grr October 26, 2009 (9:06 pm)

maybe we could try for the monorail again instead.
–
ok..not really.

wsb October 26, 2009 (9:07 pm)

The simulation is a good way to show the general public what could happen to the viaduct in an earthquake. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Is WSDOT trying to drum up support for replacing the viaduct? Heck yes, just as they should be. The viaduct is a huge public safety risk. It’s time to settle on a final design and move forward with construction.

WSB October 26, 2009 (9:12 pm)

*note that while the above commenter entered “wsb” as name, it is NOT anyone associated with site ownership. Please use something different next time* – TR

CanDo October 27, 2009 (7:37 am)

As I and my work colleagues were screaming “Oh ___ ” and “Oh God” while diving under tables in the industrial area during the Nisqually quake, I wondered if our building was going to remain standing and if the viaduct had come down. We got lucky that time. If it had been a 7 on the richter scale, if it had lasted 30 seconds longer or if it had been a shallower quake, the video scenario likely would have played out and our old work building which merely cracked, would probably have crumbled. What does it take to convince people that safety is an issue with that old viaduct? I don’t like paying for change, either. But the fact is: 1) We will have a damaging earthquake again and the scenario played out in the video is a distinct possibility; 2) Double decker freeways do collapse in strong earthquakes and our aging roadway is no exception. Given those two facts, why are we still letting time go by while we dither about details?

sjc October 27, 2009 (11:13 am)

Well, Seattlites, welcome to the Pacific Rim!!

It never ceases to amaze me, coming from earthquake- and flood-prone Northern California, how many people choose to live, work and commute regularly in locations that will be inevitably destroyed by an earthquake, flood or tsunami, when, not if, it happens here.

Wake up!!

If these visuals are what it takes to face our local reality, then bravo to the government for releasing this now, when it has successfully generated such substantial media-hype. After so many years of virtually no seismic release along the countless fault-lines here, nor along the subduction zone, nor from an erupting volcano, the event that will occur will be far greater than what is pictured here. There is no viaduct or tunnel that will ride out an event of this magnitude or greater.

kaywood hopkins October 28, 2009 (10:15 pm)

Video with sound effects: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqMBE6SJMsY

WSB October 28, 2009 (10:25 pm)

Sorry, kcporter’s tunnel quake simulation beats that.

4thgen Seattle October 30, 2009 (9:39 am)

Where would you rather be during an earthquake? Underground, underwater in a two-lane stacked tunnel??? Not me! For that matter, imagine being trapped in the tunnel during a big traffic jam! The tunnel is a nightmare all the way around! 4 lanes for billions instead of 6 or 7? That is NO improvement!

molotov cocktail October 30, 2009 (9:54 pm)

it’s hardly sensationalized or exaggerated, the reason for “why the hell was this created” is because seattle is in an earthquake prone area and it’s in an area that has had, and will have again, a large earthquake and by large earthquake this doesn’t mean something the size of the nisqually quake. large earthquake means in the 9.0 area on the Richter scale. people don’t realize this and go around saying, ‘well, why should my tax dollars go to reinforcement when we never have earthquakes?’ this is merely meant to educate and persuade and make people realize.

it’s better to spend money now on preparations than to wait and spend money on reparations.

Sorry, comment time is over.