[Calpernia]

I didn't realize that either. That does make sense too.

Thank you very much for that insight.

[concretebob]

BTW if you'd like a small idea as to how commercial buildings are constructed, see my website..you can link from my profile page.
Its only a 3 story hospital with a 5 story bed-tower, but the principle is the same..central tower...steel framing tied to columns..massive columns..on massive footings..
this hospital was also designed and built under the new 2000 International Building Code, which incorporates the California Office of Public Safety's requirements for seismic resistance, and FEMA's guidelines for essential facilities..
(yes, the same FEMA which was in NO,LA..)
they do other stuff besides respond to natural disaters..
I have approximately 14 FEMA publications in e-book format loaded on my laptop..all of which address seismic resistance, structural steel welding, and design criteria for moment resisting steel frame buildings,
in addition to the 2000 and 2003 International Building Codes in e-book format.
If you are the curious type, you can go to ecodes.biz and download the FEMA publlcations for free.
I highly reccommend the FEMA publication "State of the Art Report on Welding of Moment Resisting Frames"..heady stuff..
just throwing this out there for the edification of my FReeper FRiends..
I live this stuff (thats not a typo)..I also love this stuff, sometimes, but I do have some horror stories..
I will say this..St Francis Medical Center is the best designed, most well-built medical facility on the East Coast, probably in the country, and it's where I would want to be if the New Madrid fault line ever acts up again.