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Many property owners in California have unsafe and outdated soft-story buildings.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 Function
Structural engineers and contractors have an important job when it comes to these soft-story buildings. They need to strengthen the property and, depending on the building itself, ensure that it’s still functional. The best way to make a building earthquake-resistant is to erect a brand-new building using modern construction.
However, a soft-story retrofit might be your only option. It’s important to note that although you can make a building earthquake-resistant, you can never guarantee it is earthquake-proof. Many factors go into the amount of damage an earthquake can cause, from internal systems like plumbing to external structural concerns dictated by the city itself. Although you can never be earthquake-proof, you can take measures to increase safety in an earthquake.
Why Does California Have More Soft Story Buildings?
California has the highest density of soft-story buildings in the US. This includes wood-frame buildings, apartment complexes, parking garages, and office buildings. If these structures tend to be at high risk during an earthquake, why are they so prevalent throughout California?
The biggest reason for this is the demand for good functionality and aesthetics. California has seen some of the biggest booms in population growth and some of the biggest needs for major rebuilding. For example, after the 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco, almost the entire city was rebuilt from the ground up. To accommodate this growth, they needed a building material that was easy to obtain, abundant, and cheap.
Other cities in California followed suit, using the same cheap materials. It also didn’t help that in the 1900s, they followed more lax rules about building safety and fire codes.
Strengthen Your Soft-Story Building with Saunders Seismic
In 2018, California still features many soft-story buildings, which are in dire need of earthquake retrofitting to ensure that they remain safe in case of an earthquake.
If you own a soft-story building and want to increase its earthquake resilience, Saunders Seismic can help. Our team specializes in retrofitting to improve safety without sacrificing functionality. Contact us to learn more about soft-story retrofits and how we can make your property safer.