Why Consider a Seismic Retrofit for Your Commercial Building?
Buildings located on the West coast of the United States are particularly susceptible to earthquake damage. In fact, the U.S.. Geological Survey records over 20,000 earthquakes – most of them quite small – every year along the San Andreas fault. Although most do only minor damage, it is almost a certainty that a larger magnitude quake will eventually affect most of California as well as large sections of Oregon and Washington. For this reason, it is important for commercial building owners to consider the benefits of a seismic retrofit. Here is why:
- Improved safety – The obvious goal of a seismic retrofit is to protect the occupants of the building as well any pedestrians passing by. Through the use of such techniques as Roof to wall connections, continuity ties, brace or moment steel frames, shear walls and other technics. Buildings can be significantly protected against moderate earthquakes. With a seismic retrofit, more severe quakes may cause some damage to the structure but it should not fail completely.
- Reduced repair and maintenance costs – Earthquakes are a fact of life along the West coast of the U.S.. Even small ones can do a lot of damage to unprepared buildings. Retrofitting can actually save considerable cost due to tenant relocations, business disruption, and loss of revenue. This does not even take into account the furniture and fixtures inside the building nor the cost of injury to the occupants.
- Lowered insurance costs – It is a simple fact of the commercial real estate business that earthquake insurance will be expensive. A seismic retrofit will reduce your premiums – by lowering the probable maximum loss – and can even pay for themselves in as little as two to six years. In short, any building owner planning for the long term should consider a seismic retrofit to increase their return on investment.
For further information on the benefits of seismic retrofits for Industrial/commercial buildings, contact Saunders Commercial Seismic Retrofit. We can be found online at SaundersSeismic.com or reached directly at 949.646.0034.