Four Suzzallo Pinnacles Fall 70 Feet and 15,000 Books Hit the Floor: UW Weathers Nisqually Without Closing

Wednesday, February 28, 2001WAearthquakeemergency notificationmedium confidence

Confirmed Threat

At 10:54 AM PST on February 28, 2001, the magnitude 6.8 Nisqually earthquake struck 30 miles beneath the Puget Sound, shaking the University of Washington campus for nearly a minute. Four ornamental terra cotta pinnacles from the historic Suzzallo Library fell 70 feet to the library steps, and approximately 15,000 volumes were thrown to the floor. Schmitz Hall and the T-Wing of the Health Sciences Center were closed for asbestos remediation after ceiling tiles fell. The UW did not close campus -- a decision made possible because most structural damage was cosmetic, and an ongoing $42.6 million seismic retrofit of Suzzallo had already limited structural harm.

Alerts: 3
Response: —
Killed: 0
Injured: 0

Institution

University of Washington

Public R1 · WA

~46,000 studentsUW Alert

Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail10:54 AM PST, February 28, 2001, immediately following the mainshock

Approximate reconstruction314 chars

UW Emergency: A major earthquake has struck the Puget Sound region. Please evacuate all UW buildings immediately and move to open areas away from structures. Wait for building inspection before re-entering. Emergency personnel are assessing campus damage. Check your email and the UW emergency website for updates.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Earthquake struck at 10:54 AM PST on February 28, 2001 -- a Wednesday morning during class hours, with the campus at or near full population

UW geologists Derek Booth and Kathy Troost were in their offices when the shaking began and immediately identified it as a major subduction-zone or intraplate event

The 6.8 magnitude Nisqually quake had its epicenter 30 miles beneath the Nisqually River delta, about 35 miles southwest of Seattle -- deep enough that surface rupture was minimal, limiting the worst structural damage

UPDATEEmailMid-afternoon, February 28, 2001

Approximate reconstruction530 chars

UW Facilities Update: Campus buildings have been inspected and most are open for normal use. The following buildings are closed pending further assessment: Suzzallo Library (structural damage to historic masonry), Odegaard Undergraduate Library (fallen books and ceiling tiles), Schmitz Hall and Health Sciences T-Wing (asbestos particles in air from fallen ceiling tiles). The Conibear Shellhouse is restricted to essential personnel following structural assessment. Emergency cleanup crews are working in all affected buildings.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Suzzallo Library suffered diagonal cracks in masonry walls and lost four ornamental terra cotta pinnacles that fell 70 feet to the front steps -- but the partial seismic retrofit already in progress limited structural damage

Schmitz Hall and Health Sciences T-Wing were closed not for structural reasons but because ceiling tile collapses released asbestos particles into the air -- a hazmat issue distinct from earthquake structural damage

UW Libraries reported approximately 15,000 volumes thrown to the floor across all affected branch libraries

ALL CLEAREmailWithin several days following February 28, 2001

Approximate reconstruction428 chars

UW Update: Schmitz Hall and the Health Sciences T-Wing have completed asbestos remediation and are returning to normal operations. Suzzallo Library will remain closed while seismic repair and restoration of the historic masonry continues as part of the ongoing retrofit project. The main UW Libraries system is operating from alternate locations. No structural safety issues have been identified in any occupied campus building.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The asbestos remediation in Schmitz Hall took several days -- closing a major administrative building during the academic quarter created significant logistical pressure

Suzzallo's ongoing $42.6 million seismic retrofit project ultimately cost UW more than the earthquake damage itself -- but structural engineers credited the 60% completed retrofit with preventing far greater harm

The four fallen terra cotta pinnacles were not structural elements but historically significant ornamentation -- their replacement was part of a comprehensive $47 million restoration completed in 2003

Context

Background

The University of Washington's historic Seattle campus sits on glacial sediment above the Lake Washington Ship Canal, approximately 35 miles northeast of the Nisqually River delta where the magnitude 6.8 earthquake of February 28, 2001 was centered. The quake struck at 10:54 AM PST during morning classes, with a hypocenter 30 miles deep -- a depth that attenuated the most violent shaking but still produced nearly a minute of shaking felt across western Washington. On campus, the most dramatic damage was to Suzzallo Library, UW's iconic Gothic cathedral-style academic library: four ornamental terra cotta pinnacles fell 70 feet to the library steps and the roof of a construction trailer, and diagonal cracks appeared in historic masonry walls. Approximately 15,000 volumes were thrown to the floor across the UW Libraries system. Critically, a $42.6 million seismic retrofit of Suzzallo had begun the previous summer, and with 60% of the interior work already complete, structural engineers credited the partially-finished bracing with limiting what could have been far more serious damage. Schmitz Hall and the T-Wing of the Health Sciences Center were closed for several days for asbestos remediation after ceiling tiles fell and released asbestos particles. Unlike many major earthquake events, UW never closed campus -- inspectors cleared most buildings within hours, and only the library and affected administrative wings required extended closure. The Nisqually earthquake caused approximately $2 billion in statewide damage and one death, with the worst destruction in unreinforced masonry buildings in Pioneer Square and SoDo. UW's relatively minor damage -- and the success of its ongoing retrofit -- became a case study in the value of proactive seismic investment for historic campus buildings.

Analysis

Key Findings

Suzzallo Library's ongoing $42.6 million seismic retrofit was 60% complete when the earthquake struck; structural engineers credited the partial retrofit with preventing far greater damage to the historic Gothic building

UW never closed campus -- a decision grounded in the quick assessment that most damage was cosmetic, distinguishing the Nisqually response from the week-long closures that followed the 1989 and 1994 California campus earthquakes

Asbestos released by ceiling tile collapses in Schmitz Hall and the Health Sciences T-Wing created a separate multi-day hazmat closure distinct from structural earthquake damage -- an underappreciated secondary hazard of older campus buildings

Four ornamental terra cotta pinnacles from the front of Suzzallo Library fell 70 feet to the steps below, illustrating the particular vulnerability of decorative non-structural masonry on historic buildings

Outcome

UW remained open. No injuries reported on campus. Several libraries closed temporarily for fallen-book cleanup. Schmitz Hall and Health Sciences T-Wing closed for asbestos remediation. Suzzallo Library sustained cosmetic structural damage; the ongoing seismic retrofit is credited with limiting harm. $2 billion in statewide damage; one earthquake-related death regionally.

Provenance

Sources

Official
University Libraries earthquake update (UW News, March 5, 2001)
washington.edu
Official
September 2002 Columns Magazine Feature: Jewel Renewal (Suzzallo Library seismic retrofit)
washington.edu
Official
Nisqually quake stokes effort to learn what lies beneath (UW Magazine)
magazine.washington.edu
Source
2001 Nisqually earthquake (Wikipedia)
en.wikipedia.org
Official
Ten years after Nisqually quake, Northwest's seismic dangers still lurk (UW News, 2011)
washington.edu

Alert Sequence

Background

Key Findings

Sources

Related Cases