Eventually the pile driving was complete and the old hotel stopped moving and we finished up our repairs without any more problems. Then it was time to start on the hoisting and installation of the prefinished skin of the building. The panels had been finished and stored in Reno so all I had to do was call the plant and let them know which ones I wanted. The truck would be loaded and on it’s way in a day. And the panels were finished in a dark brown color, so I didn’t have to worry about them being ‘smoked’ by the truck as they came over Donner Pass.
Interesting. I was parked near the corner of the project site, studying some detail on the blueprints that were lying on the hood of my truck. I was probably 50 yards away from the off ramp at Millbrae Avenue. Suddenly, I noticed that the truck was vibrating! It was bouncing up and down. Slightly. Nothing dramatic, but it certainly got my attention. I looked up and saw a concrete truck passing by on the Bayshore Freeway. As it moved north and away from us, the vibrations faded away as well. Sure enough, the soil in this part of the bay was less than solid and if you paid close attention, you could even feel the vibration of ordinary traffic, 300’ feet away from the freeway!
So, what would happen during an earthquake? I found out a few weeks later. I was in my hotel room/office and making a phone call to our Reno office when I suddenly felt the room shaking. Violently. I said goodbye in mid-sentence and headed down the stairs. Probably not the smartest thing to do…
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