Elevator World
04/01/96
Earthquake Rocks Israel and Region

Author: Ami Lustig

As this issue was going to press, we received a report on the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the Red Sea region on November 22, 1995. Following is a firsthand account of the nature of the temblor and the damage it caused to elevators in Israel. . . . Editor

One Israeli died of a heart attack, and 13 people were hospitalized when an earthquake struck the Red Sea region on November 22, 1995 at 6:15 a.m. Affected were Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The strength of the tremor, caused by shifts in the te ctonic plates of the Syrian-African Rift, was estimated by differing geological institutes as ranging between 5.7 and 7.2 on the Richter scale. The quake's epicenter was some 110 km south of Eilat, in the Gulf of Eilat. It was the most powerful earthquake in Israel since 1970 - possibly since 1927, when some 400 people were killed in Jericho.

A second strong tremor rocked Israel and parts of Egypt on November 23rd at around 8:07 p.m., measured 5.3 on the Richter scale and was one of a series of some hundreds and even thousands of weaker aftershocks that continued for days after the first quake .

The quake caused some buildings in the region to collapse, cut the electrical supply in some areas and sent thousands of dazed people into the streets. Seven hotels and more than 250 other buildings in Eilat were damaged. Some sidewalks folded, and sewage tanks burst. A crevice several meters deep opened up in the road around the hotel area, and electricity was cut for 15 minutes.

The Construction and Housing Ministry appointed a special team to investigate damage and the ability of various Eilat buildings to withstand the stress.

The National Building Research Institute at the Haifa Technion reported that a law passed in Israel in 1975 (and since amended) sets building standards that, if followed, can prevent most injuries in a tremor. According to the Israel Association of Engine ers and Builders, the newer buildings in Israel meet standards identical to those in quake-prone California.

Your reporter arrived in Eilat a few hours following the earthquake to examine the elevator damage and found that in most cases, the counterweights on the units removed from service by the earthquake came out of guide rails. These counterweights were orie nted north to south. It has been generally noted that the orientation of the counterweights affected how they responded to forces generated by the quake.

In some cases, the lower end of the counterweight had come out of both sides of the guides. It was also noted that derailments tended to occur when the counterweight was high in the structure, even though the car was not in motion during the earthquake.

None of the building owners and managers knew of any injuries to elevator passengers at the time of the earthquake. Also, no damage to machine rooms was reported.

Despite all the technological advances, we still know too little about earthquakes and are unable to predict when they will hit. A tremor of this magnitude can occur in this area every few hundred years, but it could occur more frequently. Also, it is imp ossible to know whether this most recent earthquake has relieved subterranean pressure and reduced the likelihood of another one in the near future, or indicates a continuation of quake activity.

Reported by Ami Lustig, Israeli Correspondent