Saunders Seismic Insights
BLOG TECTONICS
Expert guidance to help commercial and industrial property owners, facility managers, and investors understand earthquake retrofitting, structural repairs, and building safety.
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....
Why Would You Need a Soft-Story Retrofit?
Throughout the years in California, we’ve heard about many large magnitude earthquakes, such as the Northridge quake in 1994. California, of course, isn’t the only state vulnerable to earthquakes. Earthquakes happen in Oregon, Washington, and neighboring...
What Are Soft-Story Seismic Retrofits?
Many property owners in California have unsafe and outdated soft-story buildings. These buildings often have multiple unsupported openings on the ground floor, which can cause the building to crumble, collapse, or even damage other surrounding buildings. Safety Versus...
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...
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...
4 Steps For Hiring Earthquake Retrofitting Contractors
Earthquake retrofitting contractors strive to keep your building safe and secure during seismic events. If you own a commercial building, such as a hotel, a restaurant, or an office building, picking the right contractor for your seismic retrofit is a very important...
Do I Need Wall Structural Repair?
Minor cracks in your commercial building’s walls might not seem like anything to worry about, but if left untreated, these small flaws can lead to major structural problems. Structural issues can make your building’s walls less stable and lead to...
Your Apartment Building Retrofit: Frequently Asked Questions
Los Angeles recently passed Ordinance 183893, which requires building owners to retrofit any wood-framed or soft-story buildings built prior to 1978, and other cities in California will likely follow suit. The law is intended to make buildings more structurally sound...
Planning the Seismic Retrofit Los Angeles Requires
Many buildings in Los Angeles have what is called a soft-story structure. The term describes buildings with habitable rooms above a garage, carport, entryway, or lobby. To give your soft story building improved support, you may be affected by the seismic retrofit Los...
Key Techniques for Seismic Retrofitting
Seismic retrofitting is a process that modifies existing structures to make them more impervious to events such as earthquakes and tremors. If you own an existing tilt-up or non-ductile concrete building in an earthquake-prone area and want to be confident that it...
Why Hire Structural Engineers?
Many commercial property owners are becoming concerned about their building’s structural safety, especially if it is old or has recently been impacted by a natural disaster such as an earthquake. Hiring structural engineers can help you better understand what...
Seismic Safety and Retrofitting Techniques
Over the past few years, more and more earthquakes are happening around the world. These earthquakes have caused millions of dollars in damage and have injured or killed people in the process. Because of this, researchers have conducted more studies about seismic...
Increase Industrial Building Longevity with Structural Repairs
Many factors can cause industrial buildings to become corroded, structurally weakened, and in need of repairs. In addition, the industrial environment of various structures often requires frequent care. Industrial structural repairs can be done on walls, roofs,...