Since experiencing two major earthquakes on the fourth weekend of July, California witnessed a new earthquake nearly every minute after that.
Since that 6.4 earthquake–the first rock quake in Ridgecrest, CA on July 4th–there have been over 5,400 small earthquakes in the area.
The U.S. Geological Survey released a new video showing the ongoing earthquakes in the area from last Thursday to Monday.
The 6.4 and 7.1 earthquakes in Ridgecrest left the affected areas in shambles and frightened people throughout southern California.
As residents have begun to gather the survival needs for the next Big One, it’s important to take all the necessary precautions to prepare your home and your loved ones for a major earthquake.
Kenneth O’Dell, president of the California Structural Engineers Association, is using major quakes last week to remind Californians of the significance of retrofitting the earthquake.
The last major earthquake in a densely populated area was the’ 94 Northridge quake, which resulted in dozens of deaths and the collapse of 16 apartment buildings.
Although Los Angeles and other Southern California counties have since adopted Soft Story retrofitting legislation–forcing owners of insecure apartment buildings to retrofit these properties, O’Dell says there are still tens of thousands of Soft Story structures that exist throughout the Los Angeles county.
“I don’t want to scare people,” O’Dell said to NBC News. “But I think it is important to be clear. This is a real issue. “In addition, O’Dell reports that half a million people are likely to call these Soft Story systems home.
A Soft Story structure is a common apartment building in Los Angeles, designed with units located above a parking lot that’s underneath. Given that the parking lot of these structures lacks the power to survive a major earthquake, these buildings are known as soft tales. We saw the collapse of these types of buildings in Los Angeles with a 6.7 quake that shook the San Fernando Valley in 1994.
Typically, these types of buildings were built before 1978—before earthquake-conscious construction was taken into account and effect.
Because the parking lot of these structures bare the entire weight of the house, the posts that support the structure are typically too low, which means “they collapse” in a quake.
Soft Story retrofits usually provide additional support to these floors by adding beams between columns. It helps to create a structural support system that can handle the back-and-forth and side-to-side shaking of the earthquake.
Earthquake retrofitting Darla A. Baker / California In addition to Soft Story buildings in the LA region, it is equally important to take proper seismic precautions if you own an older home in the area.
Homes that were constructed in the same way before the 1970s are deficient in new structural reinforcements. Without the retrofitting of a popper earthquake, these houses will slide off their foundations in the event of a major earthquake that will make them uninhabitable and dangerous for those who live there.
If you own an older home or building in California, the property can lack modern seismic reinforcements. Retrofitting Earthquake will protect your property from damage and/or loss during a major earthquake and ensure the safety of those living there.
Weinstein Engineering is a specialist in Los Angeles Foundation inspection, foundation contractors, earthquake rehabilitation, and foundation repair. Weinstein Construction has inspected more than 75.000 structures, working with engineering firms and local construction and safety departments. Over the last five years, the company has done more ground repair and earthquake retrofitting in Los Angeles than any other company in the area.
