Print
Category: News

Imperial, California - America’s bridges need work.

So do some of the nation’s buildings, both old and new  that were designed to avoid collapsing during an earthquake or other major catastrophe, but aren’t quite up to the task of remaining inhabitable after disaster strikes.

“Earthquakes are possible just about any place, not just in California,” says Douglas P. Taylor, president of Taylor Devices, which manufactures seismic dampers that protect structures during such events as earthquakes and high winds.

“New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and many other places that you don’t usually think about can have seismic activity as Oklahoma recently did.  If buildings, bridges and other structures aren’t designed to withstand the shock, they can endanger the lives of drivers and the building’s occupants.”

Taylor says these structural problems are more widespread than most people realize. Some of the issues include:

“I think you can look at the nation’s vulnerability in this area as a bad news and good news situation,” Taylor says. “Clearly, the bad news is the potential hazard for people and property. The good news is that we’re not facing something that’s unsolvable. We as a nation just need to recognize that these problems exist and have a determination to address them.”

About Douglas P. Taylor: Douglas P. Taylor is president of Taylor Devices, which manufactures seismic dampers that protect structures during such events as earthquakes and high winds. He is inventor or co-inventor of 34 patents in the fields of energy management, hydraulics and shock isolation. In 2015, he was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame by NASA and the Space Foundation.