SAN PEDRO, CA: Silva Construction (https://silvaconstruction.com), a construction and remodeling company in the South Bay area of Southern California, recently took time to answer some common questions about soft story retrofitting. The California construction company has been in the construction and remodeling business for over 40 years.
David Clarke, co-owner of Silva Construction, offered answers to some of the most common questions on the subject of soft story retrofitting:
What is a “soft story” building?
A typical Soft-Story building is a building with two or more stories located over a ground level floor with large openings, such as parking garages, or a commercial store with a large glass front.
What danger does a soft story building face?
Without proper retrofitting, these buildings may be subjected to structural failure during or after an earthquake. During an earthquake these soft story structures can be very dangerous. Getting them retrofitted is the proactive approach to avoiding serious damage.
What is soft story retrofitting?
The first step in any soft-story retrofitting project is to analyze the structure and determine the best way to strengthen the building, in order to ensure the property will meet the structural standards required of soft story buildings. For example, in the case of a ground floor garage with one or more floors above, the ground floor is strengthened with braces.
Do owners of soft story buildings have to get the properties retrofitted?
The City of Los Angeles recently passed a law mandating the retrofitting of all wood-frame soft-story structures. But even in other cities, this is an important step for an owner of a soft story apartment or retail building.
David Clarke and Brenda Silva are owners of Silva Construction, Inc., located in San Pedro, CA. The company has over 40 years of experience in remodeling construction, and serves Southern California’s South Bay area, including Westchester, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, San Pedro, Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Harbor City, Lomita, Torrance, and other select areas. Their blog can be seen at https://silvaconstruction.com/blog3/ and their website can be seen at https://silvaconstruction.com/. They can be reached at 310-831-6310.