Nation IN BRIEF : OAKLAND : Safety Violations at Building Alleged

Claims that an earthquake could shake loose tons of exterior brickwork on the Port of Oakland’s new $9.7-million parking garage have prompted a grand jury investigation, a newspaper reported. The allegation was brought by the structure’s designer, Conrad Associates of Van Nuys, in a May 17 letter to the Alameda County Grand Jury. Conrad Associates charged in the letter that some sections of an ornamental layer of red brick are not securely attached to the building’s wall and could tumble to the ground during an earthquake, the Oakland Tribune reported. Conrad Associates President Raymond Itaya contends that the general contractor, Perini Corp., changed his company’s design for securing the sections of brick, referred to as “cladding.” Port officials acknowledge that an investigation is under way.