After reviewing the seismic risks specific to California last month there are new findings regarding the fault along the LA/ OC coast known as the Palos Verdes fault zone. According to scientists at Harvard University, this fault was previously thought to be a segmented network of smaller faults, but after a closer look it is […]
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 period or earthquake of specified size and location) on specific fault(s) affecting the building. Scenario Expected Loss […]
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 measures the movement of rock along the fault, and accurately […]
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 miles deep but, there were no immediate reports of damage. Initially, there […]
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 pandemic that affects all regions simultaneously as we are experiencing now. […]
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 […]
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 structures are common among apartment buildings that are characterized by open parking on the ground floor and dwelling units […]
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 shelter-in-place order. What does this mean for Californians or other earthquake-prone regions? Well, for […]
Why should a building owner care about earthquake retrofitting services? It depends on how old your building is and how it was built. Knowledge about earthquake safety was not applied to construction until the late twentieth century. Adding steel for reinforcement is one of the keys to making a structure more stable with the ability […]