Let’s talk business. When the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Van Nuys suffered significant damage in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, the company invested $11 million in retrofitting structures on site to withstand the next major temblor – which came in 1994 with the Northridge earthquake. Even though the brewery was located just […]
Every building is different, and the approaches to safeguarding a structure against earthquake damage are incredibly diverse.
Yet in spite of these differences, there are some similarities in retrofit approaches based on building type – one of the most common being wood-framed, soft-story structures.
These apartment buildings, characterized by open parking on […]
Are you worried your apartment building may be seriously damaged in a major earthquake resulting in casualties and loss of your future income?
If so, doing the proper homework will get you off on the right foot towards a successful earthquake retrofit project.
The most important part of the process is selecting […]
People often reference the Northridge earthquake of 1994 when they speak about seismic disasters. After all, it’s something many of us experienced first-hand: an event that we can relate to.
The 6.7-magnitude thrust of the quake rattled Southern California a mere 10 to 20 seconds and caused $67 billion in widespread […]
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 […]
There’s a saying in our industry, that earthquakes don’t kill people. Buildings do.
Yes, it is over-simplified, but the fact remains that earthquake threats to public safety are fundamentally linked to structural stability. People get injured in earthquakes because a building facade, wall, parapet, ceiling or other part of the structure […]
There has been a steady influx of startup companies sprouting up to capitalize on Southern California’s growing seismic retrofit industry. This has led to concern that some of these new companies may not have the professional expertise required of such a specialized industry.
It can be confusing when you’ve got several […]
Should new construction be allowed on top of live earthquake faults? And, what can be done about the thousands of structures already standing on these fearsome fissures?
Questions like these have been playing out in Hollywood and other parts of the Southland, where a worrisome weave of active faults snakes its […]
Does your apartment building meet today’s standards for seismic safety and interior layout? If built before the mid-1970s, it could benefit from an upgrade of both.
Many building owners in these circumstances are taking advantage of the financial benefits of renovating their building’s interior spaces along with their seismic retrofit project.
The […]
A recent social media post raised the following question about earthquake safety.
Q: Is there a way to know how safe your apartment building is in case of an earthquake?
One person commented that if her apartment is still standing, it has survived everything until now — wrongly implying that the building […]
