William The Measurer and his greatest mismeasuring

[ionelv]

There is a fascinating story on CNN about a 1978 structural engineering f*ck-up that was luckily rectified in time. That a couple of architecture students caught it is only one of the scary parts of this story. I wonder how many large cities have proper building permit by-laws on quartering winds stress on tall buildings and other such esoteric dangers, especially in zones that are more prone to natural disasters. Also, what is the minimum horizon for resilience in worst case events (e.g. 100-year flood plains, earthquakes of X degrees, fires, landslides, suicidal airplane pilots)?