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2 March, 2023

Structural retrofits reduce the carbon footprint

By |2023-03-10T21:17:28+00:00March 2nd, 2023|Adaptive Reuse, Earthquake Resilience, Earthquake Retrofit|

Staggering environmental consequences of demolition and construction debris are leading construction and development firms, as well as government agencies and industry organizations, to advocate for waste reduction and recycling.

Total building-related demolition and construction waste in the nation is estimated to be 135.5 million tons — a figure that represents, at […]

2 March, 2023

How much would an earthquake cost you?

By |2023-03-17T17:31:53+00:00March 2nd, 2023|AAOC, Earthquake Retrofit, Seismic Resilience, Seismic Retrofit|

Sixty miles up the 405 freeway stands the sprawling 95-acre Anheuser-Busch brewery where, since 1954, some of the world’s most famous beer labels are made: Budweiser, Bud Light and more recent labels like Bud Ice, Kirin Ichiban and Chelada.

That Van Nuys facility today is a testament to the financial benefits […]

1 March, 2023

Marking the 90th anniversary of the Long Beach Earthquake

By |2023-03-17T16:21:53+00:00March 1st, 2023|AACSC, earthquake damage, earthquake preparedness|

There are few remaining survivors of the infamous 1933 Long Beach Earthquake, but Poly High School remains a storied reminder of that tragedy: the timing of which – at 5:56 p.m. – saved the lives of hundreds if not thousands of children because classes were not in session.

This month marks […]

1 March, 2023

Reduce, reuse – and retrofit

By |2023-03-10T21:06:45+00:00March 1st, 2023|Adaptive Reuse, Building Safety, Buildings Resilience, Carbon Footprint Reduction|

Combatting climate change is becoming serious business in the U.S. and California with ambitious initiatives designed to curb our dependence on fossil fuels that promote global warming.

In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law sweeping legislation to accelerate the state’s transition to 90% clean energy by 2035 and achieve carbon […]

22 February, 2023

Optimum Seismic Sponsors Emergency Preparedness Summit for California Special Districts Association Feb. 24

By |2023-02-27T18:24:45+00:00February 22nd, 2023|Buildings Resilience, earthquake preparedness, Earthquake Resilience|

Optimum Seismic, Inc. will be a major sponsor of the California Special Districts Association’s Emergency Preparedness Summit 2023. The virtual summit is a professional development program presented by the USC Price EXED Forum from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24.

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez, D-Pomona, chair of the Assembly […]

4 February, 2023

Thousands of apartment buildings face earthquake risks

By |2023-02-08T21:37:27+00:00February 4th, 2023|AACSC, Earthquake Risk|

Wood-framed, soft-story apartment buildings were an iconic part of Southern California’s rapid growth and car-crazed culture prior to 1980. With an open ground floor for parking, and dwelling units stacked above, they maximized land use at the expense of safety.

These structures have since been shown to be among a community’s […]

3 February, 2023

FEMA shows San Diego quake vulnerabilities

By |2023-02-08T21:32:00+00:00February 3rd, 2023|Buildings Vulnerabilities, Earthquake Risk, Earthquake Threats, SDCAA|

What are the odds a major earthquake will damage your San Diego apartment building, other commercial structure or even your home?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazus modeling shows 120,000 buildings could suffer moderate to complete damage – with 8,000 beyond repair – and another 36,000 households could be displaced.

How does […]

2 February, 2023

New construction alone won’t stop L.A.’s housing affordability crisis

By |2023-02-08T21:27:08+00:00February 2nd, 2023|AAGLA, Building Safety, Buildings Resilience, housing affordability|

New luxury apartment homes are sprouting up throughout Los Angeles – in the heart of Koreatown, Little Tokyo, in West Hollywood, Glendale, Culver City, even downtown. Amid all the new construction, the need for more affordable housing continues to grow.

From 2010 to 2019, the city lost thousands of homes considered […]

1 February, 2023

Earthquakes highlight need for resilience in California

By |2023-02-08T21:18:49+00:00February 1st, 2023|AAOC, Earthquake Resilience, Earthquake Retrofit|

Two recent earthquakes — 6.4 magnitude earthquake and a 5.4 aftershock — have seriously shaken Humboldt County in less than two weeks.  The quakes have damaged bridges, shaken homes off their foundations, left some 72,000 homes and businesses without electricity, and disrupted phone and internet service.

Only the nearby airport and […]

24 January, 2023

Major quake may dwarf recent billion-dollar storm damage

By |2023-01-24T21:45:00+00:00January 24th, 2023|earthquake damage, earthquake preparedness, Earthquake Resilience|

Three weeks of nearly nonstop rain in California dropped an estimated 32 trillion gallons of water on California, as nine atmospheric rivers barraged the state with record-breaking rainfall.[1] The steady stream of storms helped replenish reservoirs and built a snowpack 226% above normal for this time of year. […]

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