RETROFITTING LOS ANGELES BUILDINGS IS AFFORDABLE!
- We provide earthquake stabilization services
- We help reinforce existing structures
- We carry out foundation repair and replacement
- We are licensed, bonded and insured
SEISMIC RETROFITTING COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES
Before the introduction of modern seismic building codes, most structures built in the Greater Los Angeles region were designed without adequate reinforcement for seismic protection. However, with recent earthquake damage experiences, our understanding of the effects of seismic activity on commercial structures has improved, and the need for seismic retrofitting such properties has become universally-acknowledged.
If you are asking yourself, what is “Commercial Retrofitting” then the answer is that it involves the modification of existing commercial structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity. Once retrofitted, commercial structures can better withstand strong side-to-side ground motion or failure due to major earthquakes.
In view of the great need for commercial retrofitting services, Weinstein Construction is committed to bringing substantive knowledge of earthquake retrofitting to the Greater Los Angeles business community. We offer local businesses a full spectrum of earthquake mitigation services, tailored directly to the unique needs of commercial structures.
RETROFITTING SOFT STORY APARTMENT COMPLEXES
Soft Story buildings are typically multi-story structures with one or more floors that have windows, wide doors, large unobstructed commercial spaces, or other openings where a shear wall would normally be required for stability as a matter of earthquake engineering design. Sadly, the infamous 1989 San Francisco and 1994 Northridge earthquakes caused many Soft Story apartment complexes to collapse down on their ground floors.
Weinstein Construction’s retrofitting experts specialize in retrofitting commercial buildings and Soft-Story structures for earthquake protection. We can strengthen any multifamily apartment complex so that it is better prepared to deal with the next big earthquake strike. Weinstein’s earthquake retrofitting services help save lives, cars, and other valuable property. Our seismic retrofit costs per square foot are unmatched in the industry!
Commercial retrofitting takes inherently weak Soft Story buildings and ensures stability.
STABILIZING UNREINFORCED MASONRY STRUCTURES
Structures built of Unreinforced Masonry, that is, brick, clay tiles, stone, concrete blocks, or adobe, are all likely to sustain severe damage during an earthquake. The damage in this case can be severe because the mortar holding Unreinforced Masonry together may not be strong enough to resist the powerful forces of an earthquake. Seismic retrofitting of masonry structures requires experience and involves anchoring the walls to the floors and roof of the structure, adding interior partitions or walls, installing braces, and taking additional mitigation measures, as required.
Weinstein Construction professionals are well-versed in strengthening unreinforced masonry. Call us today for a free, no-obligation inspection of your structure. We will demonstrate our solid credentials, practical work steps, and client-centric project management approach!
TILT-UP & INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS
Tilt-up buildings are especially vulnerable to earthquakes. This is because they have walls that are poured directly at the job site in large slabs of concrete called “tilt-up panels” or “tilt wall panels”. Such panels are then raised into position around the building’s perimeter, to form the exterior walls. When earthquakes shake the ground, the effect on tilt-up buildings can be catastrophic, with various parts of such buildings moving and swaying in different directions! If the anchors between concrete or reinforced masonry walls, wood floors, and roof are weak, tilt-up walls can pull away, literally collapsing a portion of the building or even the entire structure itself!
And so, tilt-up buildings, especially ones with large openings for industrial-sized doors and windows, are unstable and dangerous because they have inherent structural weaknesses because of how they are fabricated and assembled. The earthquake mitigation specialists at Weinstein Construction are well-versed in strengthening tilt-up buildings. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation inspection of your commercial tilt-up structure!
SEISMICALLY RETROFITTING OFFICE BUILDINGS
The contents of an office building can be damaged during an earthquake or can cause damage to the structure itself during and after an earthquake. For example, building contents may shift or fall injuring occupants, destroying expensive features, and blocking ingress, egress, and emergency exits. When this occurs, it can be costly to repair or replace the damaged property and its contents. Weinstein Construction professionals can offer you the right solutions for earthquake seismic retrofitting to protect your office building’s inhabitants, and also brace property, equipment, light fixtures, and acoustic style ceilings.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
It is not always easy to tell if your building needs earthquake retrofitting. Depending on what type of building you have, and when your structure was built, it may not have proper earthquake protection (e.g., braced cripple walls, anchor bolts, or reinforcing of crawl spaces) . If your commercial property was once an older home, then you may be especially vulnerable. But no matter what kind of building you have or when it was built, if many people use it daily, not only is your investment at risk during an earthquake, but also at risk are the lives of all who happen to be inside the structure at the time. Even if there are no obvious problems with your building and you are not sure whether it needs to be retrofitted, call one of Weinstein Construction’s experts for a free, no-obligation review of your situation. We will be happy to come to your building and provide you with some much-needed peace-of-mind, helping you know for sure whether there are any problems that need to be fixed.
The cost of commercial retrofitting depends on the building in question, as well as the problems that the building is manifesting. You can always be sure of one thing: there is no doubt that the cost of having a building repaired after it is damaged in an earthquake is much more than having the same building retrofitted before an earthquake hits. If you don’t retrofit, you are putting your entire investment at risk! We have seen time and time again buildings that were so severely damaged during earthquakes that they were considered a total loss. Weinstein Construction professionals have many different options for you to choose from, at various price points. We pride ourselves on always making sure our clients receive the best quality at the most reasonable prices! Please call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation where we can consult you on your retrofitting needs.
The answer to this question varies, as it depends on the size of your structure and the nature of the structural weaknesses found, if any. Look, we are keenly aware that you are running a business and that your time and resources are valuable. We will make sure to give you valuable insight into any potential problems we find, and if you choose us for the job, we will get the job done as quickly as we can, without ever sacrificing quality or safety in the process. If you invite us for a free, no-obligation inspection, we will typically be able to provide you with a time estimate on how long it will take to complete the job!
Yes. A permit is typically needed to service a commercial property. Weinstein Construction professionals always make sure that all the proper permits are pulled before we begin a job. We will be glad to take care of this entire process for you, unless you would like to do it on your own. Weinstein Construction can also partner with civil engineering firms near you to provide you with exceptional quality engineering plans for your project.
TESTIMONIALS
Weinstein Construction redid my foundation and retaining wall and I’m very happy with the work!
We had our basement retrofitted. Very courteous to us, very attentive. I was very impressed with the people who came to do the job. They were polite, well dressed, and really seemed to know what they were doing. We feel a lot safer now than we would have otherwise.
We had used Weinstein to earthquake retrofit our house. First, my intention was to do it myself, but we got a very nice sales rep over and he went through the whole procedure and by putting a thought into I concluded that it was not worth it for me to spend 14 days under the house. They came out, a top professional crew, they did it in a day, and we really loved what they did.
We are pleased with the results. The people were on time, they were neat, clean, and even the “big boss” was very nice and accommodating, so we’re happy with the services.
I was very happy. Very clean job. Very satisfied, and I recommend it to everybody.
We had our house retrofitted. Immediately we noticed the stability of it, even when we walked the house. Now it’s so much better and it’s stabilized, we’re very confident. It went very well and we’re very pleased.
They did a great job, they were on time, clean, and the price was right. I recommend you do the same.
House was built in 1933. They did the right job, they did a very good job and we’re very happy with the results. I recommend them.
