Saunders Construction Blog
WHAT WE’RE SAYING
NAIOP’s I.CON West was a great success!
The industrial sector of commercial real estate has been booming for a while now and the forecast continues to be bright ahead. While attending the industrial real estate conference, I.CON West,...
Commercial Real Estate is Bouncing Back!
The commercial real estate industry is making a comeback in multiple sectors, including office and retail with industrial holding steady. According to SIOR, “commercial real estate (CRE) is rebounding at a record pace, with the office sector finally making its...
How many aftershocks come after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake?
Just last month, Northern California had a 6.0 magnitude earthquake near the California-Nevada border. According to ABC News, “The quake jolted both sides of the California-Nevada state line, tossed boulders onto a major roadway and was felt as far off as Las Vegas...
Loss Estimation Terminology for Earthquake Property Assessments – Does your building need a seismic retrofit?
Probable Loss (PL): Earthquake loss to the building systems that has a specified probability of being exceeded in a specific time period. Scenario Loss (SL): Earthquake loss to the building systems associated with specified earthquake events (probabilistic return...
Industrial Real Estate is Thriving!
It is no surprise the Industrial sector of the commercial real estate industry is in high demand. It was a growing trend prior to the pandemic and completely accelerated with the giant e-commerce demand during Covid. According to Transwestern reports, after a boom...
Are you in a high-risk area for earthquakes? Is your soft-story apartment building in danger? You need a seismic retrofit!
It is common knowledge California is one of the highest risk regions in the nation for earthquakes, and consequently property destruction and earthquake damage. As you can see the USGS map below, https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/2014-usgs-national-seismic-hazard-map...
What can the construction industry do to contribute to the environment and reduce the carbon footprint?
“Buildings generate almost 40% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions,” according to WoodWorks Regional Director Chelsea Drenick. Climate change is a controversial issue yet, making an effort to do better for the global good is something to consider in every...
Types of Buildings & Seismic Retrofits
There are many types of buildings when it comes to seismic retrofits including concrete tilt-up, URM (unreinforced masonry), non-ductile, steel frame and soft-story. Concrete Tilt- up: Early designs of these building types (Before 1997), had limited or weak...
What is the Future of Office Post Covid-19?
It is no surprise the office sector of commercial real estate has been a hot topic after this past year. The office is typically known as a place of collaboration within an organization that allows social interaction, creative partnerships, communal development, and...
Does my building qualify for a seismic retrofit?
How do I know if my building needs a seismic retrofit? What are the qualifying factors for a seismic retrofit? Are there specific features to look for in the building structure? Does there have to be structural damage? Does my building need to be near a seismic fault...
Technology is Revolutionizing the Industrial Sector of Commercial Real Estate with Modernized Warehouses
Technology is an undeniable factor driving transformation within every industry, including commercial real estate. Change is inevitable and sometimes difficult to accept however, the latest industrial boom due to the expansion of e-commerce sales and faster delivery...
What do we need to provide a budget?
Acquisition Budgets Saunders Construction provides a unique service, budgets for acquisitions! This comes with estimate ranges of low, median and high. There are several factors that affect pricing. Information to submit for a budget may include, leasing plan/tenant...
RETAIL is reinventing itself while INDUSTRIAL is flourishing!
After attending NAIOP’s webinar, The Transformation of Retail and its Direct Influence on Industrial’s Boom featuring Andrea Himmel with Himmel + Meringoff Properties and Jeffrey Rinkov, SIOR, with Lee & Associates, it is clear the commercial real estate landscape...
Roof Condensation: What to Look for?
Roof damage from condensation is one of many structural problems that can occur and if left untreated, this condensation can cause serious structural problems. It is entirely possible to destroy the entire roof structure. What is the specific cause? Moisture!...
Do you know how many earthquakes California has in a SINGLE day?
It is not uncommon for California to experience up to 100 earthquakes per day. Of course, these quakes are small in magnitude and cause little to no damage however it is important to stay alert and prepared. Scientists now use the moment magnitude scale, which...
The “INDUSTRIAL” sector of the commercial real estate industry is in high demand!
Industrial has been one of the most resilient sectors during the COVID-19 crisis, as more people turned to online shopping. According to CBRE, demand for industrial space has exceeded supply for 42 consecutive months now, with net positive absorption of nearly 57...
Is your PML under 20? What does that mean?
According to IRMI (International Risk Management Institute, Inc.), probable maximum loss (PML) is the traditional measure of earthquake loss popularized by the insurance and seismic engineering industry in the 1980s. Historically, the PML is based on a deterministic...
3.6 magnitude quake struck near Angwin, Northern California
The San Francisco Chronicle reported an earthquake west of Lake Berryessa that the U.S. Geological Survey recorded at 3.6 magnitude shortly before sunrise on a Monday morning in late October. This is no surprise given that this area sits between two active fault...
Important Factors to Consider when Hiring A Structural Engineer and Why Costs May Vary
It is time your building needs to be brought up to Life Safety standards and reduction of PML (SEL and SUL now) or for your peace of mind, you determined it is time for a seismic upgrade and/or structural repairs, the first step is to find a structural engineer to...
The Impact on the Industrial Sector of Commercial Real Estate from Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact on commercial real estate and, some say more so than the global financial crisis earlier this century. According to real estate economic and research experts, “the pandemic directly impacts the demand for space through...
New Factors in Building Design, Engineering and Construction since Covid-19
It is no surprise building designs are being evaluated closely since the pandemic. The office sector of the commercial real estate industry has been greatly affected by the shutter in place regulations and guidance from CDC to have employees of non-essential...
What are the most common structural repairs?
Structural repairs refer to repairs or replacement to the roof, foundation, floors, and permanent exterior walls and support columns of a building. Some of the most common types of structural repairs include GLB (glulam beam), purlin & sub-purlin, truss and column...
Did you feel the 4.2 Earthquake that rattled Southern California last week?
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Pacoima area of the San Fernando Valley early Thursday morning of July 30th. It was felt across the Southland with many news stations shaking live on the air. The area shuddered with aftershocks following the quake about five...
Roof Condensation: How does it form and what to look for?
Roof Condensation is moisture that develops at the roof ceiling area and is trapped by foil insulation or other types of radiant barriers. If left untreated, it can destroy the entire roof structure. Moisture rust and decay all metals including hangers, nuts, bolts...
What is one of the major post-pandemic take-aways for the “Industrial” sector of Commercial Real Estate?
It is safe to say the entire commercial real estate industry decelerated as the COVID-19 pandemic set in however, it was brief for industrial real estate. According to several panelists from premier real estate companies at the NAIOP 2020 I.CON Virtual Conference,...
Are there similarities between natural (geologic) disasters and the Covid-19 crisis?
What comes to mind when contemplating geological disasters? The two at the forefront of most peoples’ minds would be volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Although these types of disasters affect vast regions near and far across the planet, we have yet to see a global...
How vulnerable is your soft-story (apartment) building to earthquake damage?
Soft-story apartment buildings are prevalent in Los Angeles and Orange County which are also considered earthquake-prone territories, specifically Los Angeles. Soft-story / apartment buildings are at risk of earthquake damage however; seismic retrofits will help...
The type of building is a major factor in respect to which are most at risk for damage from an earthquake
There are several types of buildings including soft-story, tilt-up, steel moment frame, non-ductile concrete and URM (unreinforced masonry). What are their characteristics and what can be determined are vulnerable when faced with enduring an earthquake? Soft-story...
What does it mean for Californians if a big earthquake hit during the covid-19 shelter in place order?
It is a common theme across the globe. The coronavirus is changing our day-to-day lives. The impact of the pandemic affects different industries in different ways. Earthquake experts are considering the potential for the big one during the Covid-19 outbreak and...
PML-SEL-SUL, what is it and why do we need it?
PML-SEL-SUL What is it and why do we need it? It is a standard of measure and calculations that Lenders, Insurance companies and Risk managers use to determine the damage that would be caused by an earthquake. There are different levels of criteria. Most lenders and...