Saunders Seismic Insights
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Expert guidance to help commercial and industrial property owners, facility managers, and investors understand earthquake retrofitting, structural repairs, and building safety.
Is Vertical Expansion the Future of Industrial Buildings?
The industrial boom is still in full effect and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The strong demand for industrial space coupled with limited land supply in some areas is stirring up the commercial real estate industry; developers and owners are looking...
Maximizing Efficiency with Value Engineering
Saunders Construction has over four decades of experience performing seismic retrofits. We have completed thousands of projects on every type of building, with our top management logging hundreds of hours of field experience. As a result, we have encountered countless...
Does Commercial Real Estate Have a New Asset Class?
The past few years have been unprecedented times of uncertainty, navigating unfamiliar territory and change. All of the contributing factors affect the state of commercial real estate. There have been several opportunities to create new asset classes, from the demand...
How the Supply Chain Crisis is Reshaping Industrial Real Estate
The supply chain crisis is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, especially with the holidays quickly approaching. This issue has multiple breakdowns causing massive interruptions, and will take a lot of resources, money, and time to rectify. Locally, Bisnow recently...
Why Saunders Seismic Ranks Among the Top Retrofit Contractors
Saunders Construction, Inc. was recently recognized in GC Magazine as one of the top seismic contractors in San Jose, California. This acknowledgment highlights the company’s commitment to quality, expertise, and delivering peace of mind to property owners across the...
Reducing Carbon Footprints in Construction: Industry Solutions
Buildings account for nearly 40% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, according to Chelsea Drenick, Regional Director at WoodWorks. As climate change remains a pressing global concern, the construction industry has a significant opportunity to adopt practices...
What is the Future of Offices Post COVID-19?
Unsurprisingly, the office sector of commercial real estate has been a hot topic this past year. The office is typically known as a place of collaboration within an organization that allows social interaction, creative partnerships, communal development, group...
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...
How Technology Is Modernizing Commercial 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...
Seismic Retrofit Budgets: Information That Matters Most
Preparing a budget for a seismic retrofit or structural repair project is a critical step in managing costs and expectations. At Saunders Seismic, we specialize in providing detailed acquisition budgets that help property owners, acquisition teams, and asset managers...
Retail Evolves as Industrial Real Estate Booms
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...
Why Industrial Real Estate Demand Is Booming
One of the most resilient sectors during the COVID-19 crisis has been industrial, as more people turned to online shopping. According to CBRE, demand for industrial space has exceeded supply for 42 consecutive months, with net positive absorption of nearly 57 million...
COVID-19’s Impact on Industrial Commercial Real Estate
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...
Post-COVID Trends in Building Design
It is no surprise that building designs have been 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 the CDC to have employees of non-essential...
Post-Pandemic Takeaways in Industrial 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,...
Guide to Accurate Seismic Project Budgeting for Seismic Retrofits
Creating an accurate budget for a commercial or industrial seismic retrofit project requires detailed information and careful planning. Budgets serve as essential guides, but many variables can impact costs from the initial concept to final plans and tenant...
The Basics of Concrete Repair
Engineers have learned to make buildings safer in recent decades after years of studying what happens to structures during earthquakes. Concrete is a durable choice, but concrete tilt-up buildings built in the last century pose safety risks. Over time, concrete can...
Understanding Seismic Retrofit in California
Several earthquakes have shaken both San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2019, which is a reminder that old building owners need to consider a seismic retrofit solution for California. Not only is California one of the most vulnerable states for seismic activity, many...
Understanding the Role of Structural Inspectors in Seismic Retrofits
Structural inspectors for seismic retrofit are not exactly the same as structural engineers and are sometimes confused, although they share certain common tasks. While some contractors want structural inspectors to have engineering backgrounds, many inspectors get...
Structural Concrete Crack Repair
Concrete can last many decades without needing much maintenance, which is a key reason why it’s favored as a commercial building material. Regular inspections help detect problems early to avoid expensive structural concrete crack repair. Here are important...
Seismic Retrofit in Oregon
Although most of Oregon’s thousands of earthquakes over the years have been minor (i.e. under a magnitude of three,) the state has suffered three destructive earthquakes in the past century. Quakes as far away as Seattle can affect buildings in Portland, so...
The Importance of Industrial Structural Repairs
Every large manufacturing facility must be inspected periodically to see if industrial structural repairs are needed. Such a large facility likely employs many people, so it must be responsible for the safety of its workers. Seismic retrofit is a long-term solution...
Identifying Structural Risks for Earthquake Preparedness
In 2010, over 200,000 individuals died in earthquakes around the world. Collapsed buildings caused the vast majority of these casualties. Three things should be prioritized right after an earthquake to reduce risk: Keeping people in and around the building safe....
What to Expect During Your Structural Inspection
Structural inspections are key safety measures, both to fix damage after an earthquake, and to prevent possible damage from future seismic activity. However, many property owners don’t know what to expect from the initial inspection. When do you need a...
California’s Seismic Retrofit FAQs
Older buildings throughout the state of California are vulnerable to damage from earthquakes. Seismic ordinances at some of the cites dictate earthquake retrofit standards and measures to provide for public safety as well as protection of private property. Is your...
How to Hire a Structural Engineer for Concrete Repair
California sees more earthquakes each year than any other state in the continental US. With all those quakes, large and small, comes a lot of damage, specifically to large buildings. If your building has been through an earthquake, it’s important to understand...
Some FAQs about Earthquake Retrofitting Services
Chances are if you are a commercial property owner–or even a renter for that matter–you’ve been hearing a lot about earthquake retrofitting services over the past few years. When it comes to earthquake retrofitting, the investment is significant....
How to Select Wall Repair Contractors
Holes, cracks, and water damage are often common in older buildings – especially if they were not constructed properly by not using the best materials. The good news is that these problems can usually be fixed quite easily using wall repair...
Top 5 Building Types For Structural Steel Contractors
If you’ve considered using structural steel contractors for your new project, you might wonder if they can build exactly what you need. One of the biggest reasons people choose metal structures over any other material is their high level of flexibility. These...
California’s Seismic Retrofit Regulations
California has a high earthquake risk. To minimize damage and death caused by earthquakes, some California cities require seismic retrofitting to older buildings. Los Angeles has the nation’s most stringent regulations in earthquake safety. Seismic retrofitting...