Frequently Asked Questions About A Soft Story Retrofit
Posted on: 11 May 2022
Several California cities that are susceptible to earthquakes, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, have adopted ordinances that may require some buildings with a soft story to retrofit their buildings. And even if it is not legally required, it is strongly recommended that a soft-story retrofit be completed to prevent a building from collapsing in the event of an earthquake. Unfortunately, not everyone is familiar with the term soft-story retrofit. Here are a few answers to some of the questions you may have about this term.
What Is a Soft Story?
A soft-story is when a building has a first floor that is softer than the rest of the floors above it. The specific building term means that there is a 70 percent or higher reduction from one floor to the next. The reason for this is that many soft stories are not built with the steel reinforcements that second or third floors were built with in the past. This created a soft first story. During an earthquake, the first story can collapse inward due to it being soft, which then causes the rest of the building to collapse inward.
Why Were Soft Stories Built?
When soft stories were built, it was believed that if the bottom floor of a multi-level building was soft, it could move or sway with the earthquake. It was believed that this could prevent serious damage when an earthquake hit. However, when earthquakes hit, people started to realize that many of the buildings that were collapsing were soft-story buildings. Thus, some cities have implemented mandatory retrofitting, while others strongly recommend it.
What Is the Importance of Retrofitting a Soft Story?
A big reason why soft story retrofitting is so important is because it helps to prevent a building from collapsing during an earthquake. Those who are on the first floor can possibly be injured or even buried alive if a building collapses on them. In addition to preventing bodily injury, retrofitting soft stories helps to protect the investment you have made in a building, helping to prevent it from collapsing.
A soft-story retrofit adds steel reinforcements that help to strengthen the first floor of multi-level buildings. This helps to ensure that the first floor of the building can withstand an Earthquake. It is always important to check with local building codes in your area. In some areas, you may be legally required to complete a soft story retrofit. In other areas, you may not be required to complete one, but doing so can help to prevent a major collapse during an earthquake. Reach out to a soft story retrofit contractor to learn more about retrofitting your building.
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