Soft-Story Seismic Retrofitting Soft-Story Seismic Retrofitting Many properties, residential, commercial, and apartment buildings have what is called a soft story condition. This term is used to describe any building that has a habitable room or rooms above a garage, carport, or porch area that was not specifically designed to transmit shear or lateral forces to the story above. Failures of these types of buildings or structures with soft story conditions can lead to the loss of lives in an earthquake. Many counties in California are currently drafting ordinances to require retrofitting of all soft-story buildings.

Non-ductile concrete buildings (NDCS) also pose a danger and could allow for fatal consequences in the event of an earthquake. In a non-ductile building, there typically isn't enough steel reinforcement to form a protective cage around the inside of a building or home. This lack of support typically leads to the cracking and crushing of the concrete, as well partial or total collapse during an earthquake.

Most ordinances allow building owners more than a decade to have a potentially dangerous building retrofitted to comply with the ordinance, but no matter what the time is frame the clock is ticking.

T&S Structural Engineers has extensive expertise with a wide variety of retrofit projects. Should your soft-story building need to be evaluated for compliance with the ordinance or strengthened and brought up to date with current seismic standards, we can help.
Seismic Retrofit Fair Seismic Retrofit Fair This event provides information, materials, and resources for owners of soft-story buildings who must comply with new mandatory retrofits.
Venice Apartments Venice Apartments Soft-story retrofit in Venice, CA.
Ordinance 183893 Ordinance 183893 In November 2015, City of Los Angeles' Ordinance 183893 went into effect, requiring the retrofit of all wood-frame soft-story buildings.