A number of Southern California cities have adopted seismic retrofit requirements that go beyond the earthquake retrofit ordinance passed by Los Angeles in 2015.
These cities are ordering vulnerable “steel moment frame” buildings to be upgraded.
A popular type of construction in which a building’s skeleton is made of steel beams and […]
Asking “what’s the worst thing that could happen” is the best way for apartment owners to begin preparing to prevent costly earthquake losses that could lead to bankruptcy.
Imagine you wake up tomorrow to terrible shaking. Within hours you learn the apartment buildings you worked for throughout your life have partially […]
Earthquakes are a constant threat in California. “The Big One” can hit anytime, and cause severe damage to vulnerable apartment buildings, along with death and injuries.
Apartment buildings with a “soft-story” are particularly at-risk of earthquake damage. Soft-story buildings usually have a large, open ground floor space like a parking area, […]
Earthquakes have confused and terrified people throughout human history.
In ancient times, many people believed earthquakes were the result of angry gods, giants and huge animals.
The Japanese believed a giant catfish living at the bottom of the ocean would shake the Earth when he moved. The Greeks blamed Poseidon, the god […]
OPTIMUM SEISMIC, INC.
July 2023 Newsletter
An earthquake destroyed their home days before Christmas. They still have to pay the mortgage!
Ali Sahabi, GEC
Principal,
Optimum Seismic, Inc.
Their entire home was […]
Insurance carriers track the pulse of California’s earthquake liabilities, just as they monitor trends in fire, flood, hurricanes, and other hazards that cause claims to be filed for property damage, injury or death.
Warnings from seismologists that California is long overdue for a major earthquake has property owners and insurance actuaries […]
OPTIMUM SEISMIC, INC.
June 2023 NEWSLETTER
Thousands of San Francisco buildings may be at risk of severe earthquake damage
Ali Sahabi, GEC
Principal,
Optimum Seismic, Inc.
Thousands of San Francisco buildings, including […]
After the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Van Nuys suffered significant damage in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, the company invested $11 million to retrofit structures to withstand the next major temblor – which struck in 1994 with the Northridge quake.
Even though the brewery was located just a few miles from the epicenter […]
Many older homes and apartment buildings contain lead and asbestos. Owners sometimes downplay the health hazards these substances pose to humans and the environment. Some bypass the rules by removing these contaminants undercover — hoping that no one finds out.
Failure to comply with laws on the removal of these hazards […]
Structural engineering plays a very important role in our society today. We show our great confidence into the work of structural engineers every time we drive on an overpass, pass through a tunnel, or enter a building. In every case we trust our lives to the knowledge and workmanship of […]
