Seismic Work and Landscape Impacts
As part of a systemwide mandate from the University of California, all UC buildings must be evaluated according to seismic safety ratings, laid out in the 2017 Seismic Safety Policy, by July of 2020. Any buildings that do not meet safety standards must be retrofitted to meet them or unoccupied by December 31, 2030. This means over the next decade, many UC Davis buildings, on the central campus and in satellite sites, will be demolished or undergo seismic corrective work.
Seismic corrective work involves digging deep underground and in a wide area around the building. This can damage the roots of trees, compromising their structural integrity and making it difficult for them to sustain themselves. In these instances, trees may need to be removed entirely. During construction, measures can be taken to mitigate damage to the surrounding landscape, such as using shoring techniques to reduce damage to roots. Even with these measures taken, sometimes damage is unavoidable. In these instances, new trees may be planted where appropriate.