Seismic Damage Assessment: How Forensic Engineers Evaluate Buildings After an Earthquake
Earthquakes don’t give warnings, and they don’t leave simple damage patterns. A building that appears undamaged from the sidewalk may have fractured connections hidden behind finishes. A building with dramatic cosmetic cracking may be structurally sound. For building owners, insurers, and local authorities, the forensic engineer’s post-earthquake assessment is what separates perception from reality and […]
Sturdy Foundations: Designing Structures to Withstand Earthquakes
When the earth shakes, buildings can crumble, lives can be lost, and communities can be devastated. Earthquake resilience in architecture isn’t just about ensuring that structures remain standing during a seismic event, but it’s about safeguarding people, economies, and cultures. As forensic engineers, we’ve learned from past mistakes and continually innovate to ensure a safer […]
Soft-Story Seismic Retrofits for Residential Structures
On 17 January 1994, a powerful and disastrous 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit Los Angles. Historically known as the Northridge Earthquake, the devastating occurrence brought the expert’s attention to the most fundamental flaws in building construction. Most people had on their mind was; why did an intricate buckle when a plethora of different buildings continued to […]