Soft Story Retrofit - Bay Area
What is a Soft Story?
A soft-story building is any multi-story building in which one or more floors have large windows, wide doors, large unobstructed storefronts, and other openings in places where a shear wall would normally be required for the stability of the building. The lower floor is considered weak because it is missing adequate structural members to support the upper floors during violent shaking, especially when an earthquake or a tornado hits. The wall openings make the building soft and weak at the ground level relative to the stories above. When an earthquake occurs, the building gets moved sideways with the movement more concentrated on the soft story. This makes it more vulnerable to collapse. Soft story retrofit is an important step in earthquake safety for multi-story buildings. It involves reinforcing the lower stories of a building to make it more resistant to the lateral forces of an earthquake. This process can be time consuming and costly, but it is essential for ensuring the safety of the building and its occupants. The retrofit process can involve installing additional bracing and shear walls, as well as strengthening the foundation of the building. It is important to hire an experienced contractor to ensure that the retrofit is done correctly and safely. We found that having a thorough understanding of the building's existing structure and retrofitting requirements was essential in order to properly plan and execute the retrofit. We also found that it was important to stay on top of the project and be willing to adjust it if necessary. Overall, we were very pleased with the outcome of our soft story retrofit project and feel confident that the building is now much better protected from earthquakes. LEET Construction is an experienced contractor for soft story retrofit projects. We have the knowledge, expertise, and specialized tools to complete retrofit projects quickly and safely. We specialize in seismic retrofit of multi-family residential buildings, providing seismic retrofit solutions for buildings with weak or soft stories. Our retrofit packages include structural upgrades, foundation repairs, and wall bracing to strengthen the structure and add seismic resistance. We also use advanced seismic monitoring and sensing systems to evaluate structural performance during an earthquake. Our team of experienced professionals will work closely with property owners and tenants to ends |
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