Seismic retrofit services

Tremors and earthquakes are an everyday problem if not addressed with the proper seismic retrofitting. Homes built before 1985 are at a much higher risk of sustaining damage during an earthquake do to the fact the codes were not up to date with todays seismic requirements.

GT Foundations has a proven system to assure our customers that their home is protected and secure when the next one comes. For a small cost, you can provide a substantial improvement in your home or commercial building’s ability to withstand strong tremors or earthquakes. Give us a call and we can tell you more about what we can do to help protect your most valuable asset!

Why choose GT Foundations?

1. Retrofitting your home today will save you a substantial amount on expensive quake damage versus having no additional bracing.

2. Retrofitting provides additional safety and protection for you and your family.

3. Peace of mind that comes with living in a safer home!

4. Potential of insurance premium decrease.

5. Energy efficiency and sustainability of the home.

A Seismic Retrofit provides existing structures with more resistance to seismic activity due to earthquakes. In buildings, this process typically includes strengthening weak connections found in roof to wall connections, continuity ties, shear walls and the roof diaphragm.

In the past, building codes were less stringent compared to today’s standards, thus it is a good idea to inspect buildings constructed prior to 1985, as they were built prior to current structural codes/requirements (1986EP).

Seismic failures occur when a house either is displaced from (slides off) its concrete foundation, or when walls below main floor areas of the house crack or collapse. In the first case, improvement consists of strengthening the connections between the house and the foundation.

Improvements to prevent the second type of failure consist of both supplementing any existing connections to the foundation and strengthening the sub-area supporting walls.

The average time for a complete retrofit is up to a week. Larger homes or homes where there is need to open and re-close finished walls for work access will take longer. It is rare to have a retrofit project take more than two weeks.

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