Saunders Construction Blog
WHAT WE’RE SAYING
3 Huge Benefits To an Earthquake Retrofit
If you need a reminder as to just how dangerous earthquakes are, all you have to do is turn on the nightly news. Several states in the US and other countries around the world have been experiencing massively destructive earthquakes. Because of the earthquakes, you...
What Risks Do Non-Ductile Buildings Pose In an Earthquake?
There have been an alarming amount of earthquakes in the US over the past few years, specifically in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Utah, including a few others. The buildings that have been affected the most in these states are non-ductile buildings (concrete...
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...
Does Your Commercial Property Have an Earthquake Preparedness Plan?
It’s a sad but true fact: most businesses and property owners simply are not prepared for a natural disaster. According to a study by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, only 60% of small businesses reopen after a natural disaster. Of that 60%, roughly 1/4...
4 Important Questions About an Earthquake Retrofit in California
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...
Tips When Hiring 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...
The 5 Types Of Buildings For Structural Steel Contractors
If you’ve thought about using structural steel contractors for your new project, you might be wondering if they can build exactly what you need. One of the biggest reasons people choose metal structures over any other kind of material is because of the high...
California’s Seismic Retrofit Regulations
In California, earthquake risk is high. In order to minimize damage and death caused by earthquakes, some California cities require seismic retrofitting to older buildings. Los Angeles is home to the nation’s most stringent regulations in earthquake safety....
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...
5 Tips for Choosing an Earthquake Retrofit Company
If you have researched your options for earthquake retrofit companies, you know that there are a huge number and a wide range of options available. However, not all organizations are created equal. From price to service offerings, each earthquake retrofit provider is...
Earthquake Safety Preparedness For Commercial Buildings
Earthquakes occur on a regular basis. Commercial building owners in areas with significant seismic activity often worry about ensuring the safety of their workers, patrons, and residents during an earthquake and its aftershocks. Seismic contractors recommend the...
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 that have a habitable room or rooms above a garage, carport, entryway, or lobby. To give your soft story building improved support, you may be affected by...
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 their building is old or has been recently impacted by a natural disaster such as an earthquake. Hiring structural engineers can help you better...
What Are Non-Ductile Buildings?
What are non-ductile buildings? What are the differences between ductility and stiffness? Why are they important factors to consider when it comes to preparing your building for earthquakes? Ductility describes the flexibility of a building, which impacts how it will...
Is Earthquake Insurance Really Worth It?
Earthquakes are one of the most common natural occurrences — and yet most standard property insurance doesn’t cover it. This leads business owners to purchase separate earthquake insurance, especially in areas with significant seismic activity. While...
What Are The Benefits Of A Soft Story Retrofit?
California’s 1994 Northridge Quake was one of the most devastating earthquakes in history. Property damage totaled $44 million and 33 people died. Many of the buildings that were damaged by the earthquake were soft-story residential buildings — the type of...
Are Brittle Concrete Buildings Less Safe in an Earthquake?
Over the last few decades, researchers and seismologists have gained more knowledge about earthquakes and building collapses. One of the biggest reasons for building collapse in the United States is older designs that do not reflect current engineering standards, or...
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...
Why Are Soft Story Buildings More Susceptible To Collapse?
If you live in California, you may be wondering as a building owner or manager if your building is going to be in danger during the next earthquake. There will also be another earthquake after that! The main topic you want to consider when thinking about the types...
Protecting Your Building From a Catastrophic Earthquake
Earthquakes happen when tectonic plates shift. This shifting results in seismic waves which can violently shake buildings from side to side and vertically with enormous force. If the building is not strong enough, it may end up having severe damage and in some cases...
An Overview of Commercial Seismic Retrofitting
When an earthquake strikes, the level of risk that a soft story structure is subjected to is significantly more than other type of structures. Many different apartments and commercial premises may be at risk of damage or collapse if not properly retrofitted. In the...
Why Is Earthquake Preparedness So Important?
The news of the 7.1 earthquakes that hit Mexico last year and many others since then around the US have reminded Southern California citizens of just what danger they are in if a strong earthquake happens in California. After years of debating, LA and some other...
What Is Commercial Seismic Retrofitting And How It Can Benefit You
Over the past few years, we’ve been seeing a lot of news about damage to buildings caused by earthquakes. If you own a commercial building and you’re looking at or wondering about the different options or services available to you, continue reading the...
Industrial Structural Repairs Increase The Longevity Of Company Structures
There are many factors that can cause such structures to become corroded, structurally weakened, and in need of repairs. In addition, the industrial environment of various structures often makes them require frequent care. Industrial structural repairs can be carried...
An Apartment Soft Story Retrofit Can Secure Your Structure Against Collapse
Many of the older apartment complexes built in the earthquake prone areas of the West Coast were designed as soft story structures. The open spaces along the bottom of the building make them particularly susceptible to damage and collapse when an earthquake strikes....