SEPT 30 MEXICO CITY'S LATIN AMERICAN TOWER SURVIVES ANOTHER QUAKE

SEPT 30 MEXICO CITY'S LATIN AMERICAN TOWER SURVIVES ANOTHER QUAKE

September has been a tough month for North America. Three deadly hurricanes have ravaged Texas, Florida and the Caribbean. Two massive earthquakes struck in Mexico. Even a volcano is erupting! We here at the DUNER BLOG are optimists and struggled to find positive items to cover amidst the tragedies. At first we wanted to report about Frida, the super-sniffing dog who finds people trapped in the rubble. While the pooch is definitely blog-worthy, we instead chose to write about one building that cannot be toppled by any temblor: The Latin American Tower.

First, some background an why Mexico City is so vulnerable to earthquake damage. Five hundred years ago, 80% of the current metropolis was underwater. Lake Texcoco was big, but shallow. To make room for the Hemisphere's largest city, hundreds of square miles of the lake was drained and built upon. The problem is landfill takes centuries to permanently settle. This loose ground weebles and wobbles during a strong quake, toppling anything built on top.

For this reason, Mexico City officials banned the construction of any skyscrapers in the early 1900's. However during the post-war 'Mexican Miracle,' the Suguros Insurance Company managed to successfully lobby officials to lift the ban. Why? They believed in architect Augusto Alvarez and his revolutionary anti-earthquake plan. First, he would conduct soil tests by simulating a quake. Next, the 26,000 tons of concrete in the tower would be supported by 361 pylons, sunk deep into the ground. When the 44-storey tower opened in 1956, it was the tallest in Latin America...hence the name.

It didn't take long after opening day for the building's design to be tested. The very next year, a 7.9 Richter Scale earthquake struck Mexico City. It toppled the Angel of Independence Monument, but the Latin American tower survived. Although the golden angel will always be the main symbol of the city, the tower became a new favorite as well. The next year, the building received an 'Award of Merit' from the American Steel Institute. It became the "tallest building ever exposed to a huge seismic force." It would survive the horrific 1985 earthquake as well.

So it came as no surprise that the venerable structure was unscathed by the recent seismic activity as well. It's also no surprise that architects in other earthquake-prone cities began to copy Alvarez...the Amazing Mexican...and his innovative designs. For decades, buildings in Tokyo, Seoul and San Francisco emulated his concept of sinking pylons deep into the earth. They ceased using the simple, flat foundations of traditional buildings. So...if you ever go to Mexico City, be sure to shell out 100 pesos to visit the observation deck. The views at sunset are particularly breathtaking.