SEISMIC RETROFITTING
Retrofitting Saves Homes & Lives!
Retrofitting Saves Homes & Lives!
Retrofitting Saves Homes & Lives!
LA TIMES Article
"The retrofitted house on the right, survived a large California quake, in contrast to the destroyed house on the left."
Retrofitting Saves Homes & Lives!
Retrofitting Saves Homes & Lives!
HI-RISE CONDOS
A critical 'base isolation' system could prevent buildings from crumbling during a large quakes.
Aria Bendix Innovation Reporter
Email Author at abendix@businessinsider.com.
- For decades, engineers have been using a technology called base isolation that can protect buildings from earthquakes.
- The system isn't common in the US, but it has been installed in the city halls of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Pasadena, as well as Apple's new headquarters in the Silicon Valley.
- While many structures in the US are built directly on the ground, base-isolated structures sit on bearings that help absorb the shock of an earthquake.
- The system could help mitigate a major disaster, but property owners must be willing to pay an additional upfront cost.
Soft-story buildings, like this one in Oakland, include unobstructed spaces like parking garages
BASE ISOLATION SYSTEMS
SAN FRANCISCO TRAGEDY
BASE ISOLATION SOLUTION
BASE ISOLATION SOLUTION
BASE ISOLATION SOLUTION
BASE ISOLATION SOLUTION
BASE ISOLATION SOLUTION
CITY BUILDING EXAMPLE
BASE ISOLATION SOLUTION
CITY BUILDING EXAMPLE
The San Francisco City Hall was retrofitted to include a base isolation system. Cabe6403/Wikimedia Commons