Optimum Seismic Publishes Guidelines on L.A. Earthquake Retrofit Law
Optimum Seismic President
The article, "Seismic Retrofits: Now Mandated for Apartment Owners!" is reprinted below, with permission from the
Seismic Retrofits: Now Mandated for Apartment Owners!
Twenty-two years ago,
Freeway overpasses crumbled.
Gas and water lines snapped, creating an apocalyptic release of both fire and flood in the streets. Blackouts were widespread. Even the
But perhaps the most stunning example of the Northridge Quake's destructive power was the collapse of the
The disaster prompted a sweeping call for stricter building codes throughout
Many years and several large-scale earthquakes later – and after decades of controversy – the
Building owners have seven years to retrofit their wood buildings with soft-story conditions, and 25 years for non-ductile concrete frame structures.
- The orders will come on a rolling basis, with the city's largest apartment buildings – those with 16 or more units – getting the first wave of orders.
- Structures with three or more floors but less than 16 units will come next, followed by all others.
Owners of soft-story buildings will have one year from the date they receive their order to either submit proof that the building doesn't need retrofitting, or plans for retrofit or demolitions.
Within two years, they must obtain permits to get the work done.
All work on soft-story structures must be completed within seven years of receiving an order, the ordinance states.
A Shared Financial Burden
This January, the
The law in the
"Today's actions will save lives,"
Many are reluctant to get the work started, but here are some reasons why it's best to act promptly:
Retrofits Protect Your Assets
Earthquakes are a certain occurrence in
Geophysicists at
Yes, soft-story property owners have seven years to get the work done, but no one is advising anyone to wait until the last minute.
"Everyone knows that major earthquakes are inevitable," said
Indeed, seismic retrofits are the best option an apartment owner can take to protect his or her investment.
The
They recently conducted experiments on the performance of soft-story structures – buildings constructed over ground-level parking – and found that retrofits are quite effective in helping to control or even prevent damage.
Other studies show that retrofits can be cost-effective, too.
Researchers at
Retrofits Can Save Lives, Reduce Liability
This should be everyone's No. 1 reason for completing a retrofit, but the reality is that we all gamble with life and limb when it comes to forking out money for things that are uncertain.
Case law has now set a precedent that puts the responsibility for death, injury or property damage in the hands of the property owner.
Owners of the
Similarly, the 1989 Loma Prieta quake resulted in building owners paying out millions in damages to the families of people injured or killed from failure of their buildings to withstand the earthquake.
A more recent case out of
Even though the earthquake itself was an "Act of God," the courts found the property owners negligent because the structure had been identified by the city as requiring seismic retrofits and that even though the deadline to do the work had not yet passed, the owners should have taken prompter action for safety's sake.
Legal experts found the decision profoundly significant, comparing it to the hypothetical case of a building without sprinklers or fire extinguishers being struck by lightning and catching fire.
If you have a building that is susceptible to collapse and you're aware that it requires retrofitting to withstand an earthquake, you may be liable.
"As a property management company, we are very concerned with limiting liability issues for our clients," said
Early Action Reduces Haste and Waste
Optimum Seismic is the L.A. area's leading retrofit company and AAGLA's Preferred Supplier. We participated in the development of the city's retrofit policies – bearing in mind that structural engineering, cost analysis and risk management were all important pieces of the solution.
We have completed more than 1,600 retrofits on various types of buildings in the state of
There is too much work to be done by any one company, but the reality is that heightened demand will drive up price and spark an influx of startup companies who may not have the professional expertise and experience necessary to get the job done right.
Give yourself the time necessary to go through the retrofit process carefully.
Optimum Seismic is teaming up with AAGLA to host a series of public workshops on the subject in various districts throughout the city to inform people about the law, various options available, and recommended steps.
We will also be reaching out to you, the readers of
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Optimum Seismic is the Preferred Supplier of the
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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/10/prweb13732088.htm
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