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<br /> <br /> <br />5.12.1 Structural Hazards <br />Enforcement of the Uniform Building Code (UBC) by the San Leandro Building <br />Division helps ensure that new construction will withstand the forces associated <br />with a major earthquake. However, many of the buildings in San Leandro pre-date <br />the modern UBC and are susceptible to damage. The City is nearing completion of a <br />multi-year program to retrofit unreinforced masonry buildings (URMBs), most of <br />which are located in and around downtown. <br />Several other building types have been identified as vulnerable and have been <br />targeted for future retrofit programs. These include: <br /> Concrete tilt-up structures. About 320 tilt-ups have been identified in San <br />Leandro, with about 50 retrofitted to date. Many of these structures require <br />additional roof-to-wall connections to avoid their collapse during an <br />earthquake. <br /> Soft-story buildings. These are multi-story structures with little or no first <br />floor bracing – 368 soft-story buildings have been identified in San Leandro. <br />Most are two- and three-story apartments or offices constructed over <br />ground-level parking. <br /> Older single family homes. Many older homes in San Leandro have not been <br />bolted to their foundations and would benefit from additional under floor <br />bracing. <br />Seismic retrofitting can be expensive. The City provides assistance to property <br />owners in the form of classes and seminars, tool lending and guidelines for do-it- <br />yourself retrofit projects. In the past, the City has helped property owners by <br />providing grants, financing support and underwriting of permit fees. Additional <br />assistance programs will be explored in the future. <br />The City has completed the retrofitting of most public facilities, including City Hall, <br />the Police Station, the Main Library, and all fire stations. Both the San Leandro and <br />San Lorenzo Unified School Districts have also undertaken major seismic retrofit <br />programs during the past few years. Retrofit work by Caltrans and the Bay Area <br />Rapid Transit District (BART) is ongoing, while the East <br />Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) is in the midst of a $189 million program to <br />reinforce its reservoirs and major water lines. Some of the freeway overpasses in <br />San Leandro remain vulnerable and will require further strengthening in the coming <br />years. <br />Costs incurred by the City from previous earthquakes are an estimated $65,000 in <br />emergency response costs. Fortunately, City buildings were not dramatically