Earthquake Safety
Seismic retrofit requirements, soft-story compliance, and earthquake preparedness regulations.
Seismic design arrives through the building code, so the local story is retrofit: ordinances in high-risk cities that inventory the dangerous building types, unreinforced masonry and soft-story apartments above parking chief among them, and set deadlines to strengthen or disclose.
A homeowner meets the subject in smaller ways. Water heaters must be strapped. Foundation bolting needs a permit and sometimes qualifies for a grant. New construction handles the rest silently, through code editions that get stricter with each cycle.
What's Covered
Soft-Story Retrofit
Mandatory retrofit requirements for multi-story buildings with weak first floors, including compliance deadlines, engineering standards, and cost responsibilities.
Unreinforced Masonry
Retrofit requirements for older brick and masonry buildings that are vulnerable to earthquake damage, including compliance timelines and strengthening standards.
Seismic Gas Shutoff
Requirements for automatic earthquake gas shutoff valves on residential and commercial properties to prevent post-earthquake fires.
Non-Ductile Concrete Retrofit
Mandatory retrofit programs for older non-ductile concrete buildings vulnerable to collapse, including LA's ordinance, compliance deadlines, and engineering standards.
Wood-Frame Retrofit
Strengthening rules for older multi-unit wood-frame buildings beyond standard soft-story compliance, including shear-wall and tie-down requirements.