Soft Story Retrofit
SOFT STORY RETROFIT IN CALIFORNIA
Soft story retrofit in California has never been quicker and easier.
Our experts can provide your building with the highest quality retrofitting services for competitive prices. Our service areas include Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, San Bernardino County, and more.
WHAT IS SOFT STORY RETROFITTING?
Multi story buildings can have weak front wall lines that create a “soft story” which makes the building vulnerable to earthquakes.
A soft story retrofit strengthens a buildings structural integrity by providing additional physical support. There are various methods of getting this done depending on the building and it’s situation.
One common and popular method is by using special moment frames. A special moment frame is a large steel frame that provides support below the soft areas of a building by holding up the weight of the building.
PURPOSE OF SOFT STORY RETROFITTING
The purpose of soft story retrofitting is to promote public safety by reducing the risk of death or injury that may result from the effects of earthquakes on existing wood-frame multi-story buildings with soft, weak or open front walls.
This is especially important for areas that are considered to be high risk seismic hazard zones, such as Los Angeles. Los Angeles has come up with ordinances that now require certain buildings to complete a soft story retrofit.
Learn more about soft story retrofit requirements in Los Angeles on our blog post.