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 the entire west coast is at the highest or near highest hazard level for earthquakes. How vulnerable is your soft-story building? As […]

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 mitigate the destruction for vulnerable structures. The main feature Soft-story buildings are easily recognized by is also the main reason […]

Apartment Soft-Story Retrofit

Large complexes with tuck-under parking in which multiple stories are built on top are called “soft-story” buildings. These structures are very vulnerable during an earthquake and should be considered for retrofit, especially if they were built prior to the late 1970s. Here are key points to consider about undergoing an apartment soft-story retrofit. Soft-Story Characteristics […]