Earthquakes occur instantly, without notice, and are uncontrollable hazards, the main cause of injury, death and destruction of physical infrastructures. Worldwide evidence shows growing increases in the number of people affected by earthquakes. Preparation is defined as the activities and measures taken in advance to ensure effective response to disaster destructive impacts. Preparation for earthquake is considered an important way of reducing the risk of quakes.
Preparation measures may include gathering survival products, preparing what earthquake households do, and mitigation activities. In terms of preparedness, either at the group or individual level, techniques can be implemented.
Different Forms of Seismic Retrofit Projects Concrete Tilt-Up & Reinforced Masonry (CMU) Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Concrete Buildings 2 or More Story Soft Stories and Tuck Under Apartments Core Concepts: How a Seismic Retrofit Works To stop a building from falling off its foundation in an earthquake, seismic retrofit strengthens three different areas of the structure. All of these places are in the basement and/or crawl space. The house will be susceptible to damage in an earthquake if any of these three areas are not adequately retrofitted.
Those three areas are: plywood to crack the cripple walls.
Bolting to the base the braced cripple walls.
Attaching the house floor to the braced walls of the cripple.
In the Los Angeles area, there are a number of companies, but which one is right for you? You should follow four steps here to help you answer that question.
1. Come Up With a Short List Google searching and committing to working with the first result on the page may be tempting, but more research is needed to find earthquake retrofitting contractors that meet your business building needs. Make a list of the businesses you’re most interested in, but keep it short. Keeping your list short will help you find your building’s best company, too many choices are often daunting.
2. Ask for Experience Though seismic retrofitting does not have formal qualifications, your earthquake retrofitting contractors should have comprehensive experience and training with in-depth knowledge of the process, materials, and local regulations involved in a commercial retrofit.
3. Get some tips or seek feedback By asking your friends or colleagues, the best way to find out how good a company is. It can be a great way to identify the best option for your needs by speaking to other commercial building owners about which contractors they dealt with and what their experience was like. Be sure to find out what the experience of other customers was like or what they thought about the work done.
2. Think ROI, Not Price Tag This form of construction project is pricey, that’s not going to get around. However, don’t dwell on the initial out – of-pocket costs, think of the retrofit in your future as an opportunity. While hiring the company with the cheapest bid may be tempting, this does not always mean doing the best job. The whole idea behind the retrofit of the earthquake is to ensure that your building remains standing during the next and potential disasters, without costing you a lot in damages, or even in cases of one of your tenants or employees being wounded or killed. Make sure to find out all that is included in the quote during your initial phone calls.
Call Weinstein Construction today to schedule a FREE on-site review by our Soft Story experts team to get started today or for more information or call us now at 888.494.6152
