With Los Angeles located on the San Andreas fault line, earthquakes are extremely likely – which is why seismic safety is so crucial for residents and schoolchildren alike.
Seismic safety is essential in residential houses and apartments, but it is also important for the buildings we spend the majority of our days in – for adults, this means office buildings, and for children, it means schools.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the different ways in which schools can prepare and protect their buildings in the event of a large earthquake.
Get An Earthquake Retrofit Inspection
You can help protect buildings (including schools) from high-magnitude earthquakes by getting an earthquake retrofit inspection, also known as seismic retrofitting.
This inspection is carried out by professionals who look at several factors that affect a building’s ability to withstand earthquakes. These factors can range from structural integrity to building foundations. Essentially, inspectors are trying to ascertain whether a building will collapse, slide off its foundations, or be damaged in any other way during an earthquake.
In Los Angeles, this is extremely important, especially in school buildings. Structurally sound and retrofit-tested school buildings ensure children are kept safe and protected should a high-magnitude earthquake happen when they are at school.
If school buildings are over 20 years old, earthquake retrofitting is even more important, as older buildings are less likely to be resistant to damage.
Foundation Repair Or Replacement For Schools
In the event that a building’s foundation is not strong enough to withstand an earthquake, it may either need repair or replacement.
Foundations are an important part of a building’s safety during an earthquake, affecting whether or not the building moves or slides, and whether it collapses altogether.
It is therefore necessary to hire a reputable company or team of experts to help repair or replace a building’s foundation to ensure it is as safe as possible in the event of an earthquake.
Foundation repair or replacement is super important and saves so much money in the long run. Just think about it – if you spend the time and money on getting solid building foundations, you won’t have to pay for irreparable damage to your building and yourself if a high-magnitude earthquake does occur.
How To Keep Schools Safe From Earthquakes:
So, there are a few tips and tricks to help keep a school as safe as possible if an earthquake were to happen.
If you’re looking for earthquake retrofitting, foundation repair or replacement, or EBB – the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program, developed to help decrease the risk of property damage – Seismic Safety is the place to go.
Seismic Safety offers all of the above services at exceptional rates and with decades of experience in helping keep people safe and protected in earthquake-prone areas.