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3 July, 2024

Seismic Activity Underscores the Importance of Resilience in California

By |2024-09-25T23:00:53+00:00July 3rd, 2024|AAOC, Earthquake Resilience, Seismic Resilience|

Recent earthquakes in Los Angeles have served as a stark reminder of the region’s seismic activity. These tremors underscore the need for heightened preparedness for a potentially larger, more devastating earthquake. It is crucial for residents and authorities to stay vigilant and take proactive measures to ensure safety and resilience […]

2 July, 2024

Earthquake Faults Endanger Both New and Existing Buildings

By |2024-09-25T22:55:31+00:00July 2nd, 2024|AACSC, Building Safety, Buildings Vulnerabilities, Earthquake Protection|

The dilemma of whether to allow new construction on active earthquake faults remains contentious. Equally pressing is the issue of the many structures already positioned over these hazardous fissures.

These concerns have emerged prominently in areas like Hollywood and other parts of Southern California, where active faults run through numerous neighborhoods.

In […]

1 July, 2024

Earthquake Preparedness: Should You Retrofit, Insure, or Both?

By |2024-09-25T23:06:08+00:00July 1st, 2024|AAGLA, Earthquake Insurance, Earthquake Retrofit|

Insurance carriers closely monitor California’s earthquake liabilities, similar to how they track trends in fire, flood, hurricanes, and other hazards that lead to property damage, injury, or death claims. Seismologists’ warnings that California is overdue for a major earthquake have raised concerns among property owners and insurance actuaries. As the […]

4 June, 2024

New and Old Buildings Face Threat from Earthquake Faults

By |2024-07-22T17:43:48+00:00June 4th, 2024|Buildings Vulnerabilities, Earthquake Risk, SDCAA|

Should new construction be allowed on top of active earthquake faults? And, what about the thousands of structures already perched upon these fearsome fissures?

These questions have played out in Hollywood and other parts of the Southland in recent years, where a worrisome weave of active faults snakes its way through […]

3 June, 2024

Legal Requirement: Balcony Assessment and Maintenance

By |2024-07-22T17:35:23+00:00June 3rd, 2024|AACSC, balcony Laws, Building Balcony Safety|

Balconies hold substantial appeal for apartment tenants, especially in regions with exceptional weather such as Los Angeles, known for its enviable climate. These elevated spaces, including decks and walkways, are highly valued in Southern California’s rental market, offering residents convenient outdoor access and private areas for leisure and social gatherings. […]

2 June, 2024

Project IDs Potential At-Risk Buildings In OC

By |2024-07-22T17:18:16+00:00June 2nd, 2024|AAOC, Earthquake Risk|

How many unsafe, soft-story apartment units are there in Orange County?

That question and similar ones about other counties in California led Optimum Seismic, Inc. and the U.S. Resiliency Council to team up with Esri, a leading mapping company, to combine resources to develop maps showing where thousands of potential soft […]

1 June, 2024

Is Your Building at Risk of Being Red-Tagged During an Earthquake?

By |2024-07-22T17:11:55+00:00June 1st, 2024|AAGLA, earthquake preparedness, Earthquake Resilience|

We don’t know exactly where or when the next major earthquake will strike, but we do know that quakes are inevitable in California and many other states.

It’s also clear what buildings will likely suffer the most severe damage from seismic shaking.

Beyond these facts, it’s wise to assess your apartment building’s […]

4 May, 2024

Enhance Earthquake Safety in Your Apartment Building for Investment Protection and Marketability Boost

By |2024-05-06T22:17:57+00:00May 4th, 2024|Adaptive Reuse, apartments seismic retrofit, SDCAA, Seismic Retrofit, Soft Story Seismic Retrofit|

Most older apartment buildings fall short of today’s standards for earthquake safety and fail to offer the types of interior spaces tenants want.

If your apartment building was constructed before the mid-1970s, it could benefit from an upgrade of both its structural safety and functional design.

Many building owners in these circumstances […]

3 May, 2024

Three Tips To Getting The Most From Your Retrofit

By |2024-05-06T22:12:09+00:00May 3rd, 2024|AAOC, Earthquake Retrofit, Earthquake Retrofit Benefits, Earthquake Retrofits|

Chances are you felt at least one of the many earthquakes that rattled Southern California last month.

The initial 6.4-magnitude quake near the desert community of Ridgecrest was just a precursor to a larger 7.1-magnitude giant, with many other quakes to follow in the days succeeding these temblors.

It can be a […]

2 May, 2024

‘King Of Beers’ Models Quake Resilience

By |2024-05-06T21:56:15+00:00May 2nd, 2024|AACSC, earthquake preparedness, Earthquake Resilience|

Few might think to turn to a brewery for lessons on earthquake resilience, but the Anheuser-Busch company knows the subject well.

When its brewery in Van Nuys suffered significant damage in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, the company decided to invest $11 million in retrofitting structures at the site to withstand the […]

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