L.A. City Council votes for seismic retrofits for older buildings

Thousands of older wood and concrete apartment buildings in Los Angeles that would be vulnerable to collapse in a major earthquake would need expensive seismic retrofits under rules passed recently by the City Council.

An estimated 13,500 “soft-first-story buildings,” wood-frame structures with large parking areas on the ground floor, would be impacted. Some 1,500 brittle concrete buildings would also be affected.

Still undecided is how to pay for the estimated $5,000-per-unit retrofitting costs. One proposal is to split the costs 50-50 between tenants and landlords and cap possible monthly rent increases at $38.

Wood buildings would have seven years to complete construction after the owner is contacted by the Department of Building and Safety to retrofit the structure. Owners of brittle concrete buildings would be given 25 years to complete a retrofit.

Faster delivery of buildings isn’t always associated with sustainability benefits or long-term value, but things are changing. An instructive case is in the development of steel structures that not only allow speedier erection times, but also can reduce embodied carbon and create durable, highly resilient building approaches.

Data Centers | Oct 31, 2022

Data center construction facing record-breaking inflation, delays

Data center construction projects face record-breaking inflation amid delays to materials deliveries and competition for skilled labor, according to research from global professional services company Turner & Townsend.

7 game-changing trends in structural engineering

Here are seven key areas where innovation in structural engineering is driving evolution.

Seismic Design | Mar 31, 2021

Vancouver’s building codes may underplay seismic hazard

Vancouver, Canada’s third largest metropolitan area, has the country’s highest seismic risk.

Plan ahead when building in the west

Getting a project through plan review can be an unusually long process, anywhere from six months to two years.

Seismic Design | Jul 28, 2016

Risk of man-made earthquakes now factor in seismic hazard analysis

Significant risk increases seen in some areas of the U.S.

Concrete | Jul 20, 2016

Arup ensures Mexico City concrete skyscraper can withstand seismic activity

Double-V hangers and irregularly spaced gaps allow the structure to bend.

For employees, certain design strategies can lessen stress, improve health, and promote a greater sense of community connectivity, writes Perkins+Will project manager Jon Penndorf.

Seismic Design | Jul 5, 2016

How design mitigates environmental stressors

For employees, certain design strategies can lessen stress, improve health, and promote a greater sense of community connectivity, writes Perkins+Will project manager Jon Penndorf.