Seismic Retrofitting Essay

Seismic activity is the most challenging, and most heavily invested in, civil engineering discipline. Today, engineers use materials and building methods especially geared towards dealing with this menace. However, these modern techniques can cause more harm than good when not properly used with older structures. Historical buildings come with their own challenges, and seismic retrofitting does not come with a single solution for all structural integrity issues; however, as time passes, engineers and the government are making progress in the fight against Mother Nature.

A Big Challenge for Civil Engineers

Earthquakes pose an enhanced threat to structures compared to other natural disasters, because this disaster type offers no time to prepare. This leaves engineers with an enormous task; since it is impossible to determine where seismic activity will occur well in advance, engineers can only forecast potential high-risk areas. Armed with this information, the engineers then ensure that all structures in a large geographic region can stand up to the next earthquake that may occur. This process is costly and …show more content…
This resulted in the city shutting down the building for seismic retrofit. Engineers not only wanted to make the structure safe, but they also wanted to maintain the building’s structural heritage. The engineers used base isolation, a technique that involves replacing the building foundation features with a bridge-like support, and reducing seismic vibration impact. Engineers anticipate that the building is now protected from large earthquakes that trouble the area almost every 350 years. Some property owners a resigned to use much less expensive measure to shore up their structures. This is the case in California, where the state has instituted a financing program to help protect homeowner from seismic activity