soft story retrofit

A soft-story building is a multi-story building with one or more stories that are «soft» due to structural design. These floors can be especially dangerous in earthquakes, as they cannot cope with the lateral forces caused by the building swaying during an earthquake.

Soft story seismic retrofit is to analyze the structure and determine the best way to strengthen the building. One of our foundation experts will have to weigh several factors when deciding the best approach for the project. Not only do we need to ensure that the property meets the structural standards required for retrofitted buildings, but we also need to minimize the impact on building function and use.