Earthquake Retrofitting A Must For Earthquake Preparation

Homeowners Urged to Retrofit Homes to Earthquake Preparedness Safety Standards

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction, Inc., (http://julianconstruction.com/) a foundation construction and foundation repair company located in Los Angeles, has been continuing its campaign to raise awareness of home safety standards. Specifically, the company has been working to make homeowners aware of the necessary steps to keep their homes safe in the event of an earthquake, including earthquake retrofitting. The company has extensive experience with the procedures needed to address any structural issues which would cause damage in the event of an earthquake.

In a recent article on earthquake safety, Julian Construction’s safety and inspection expert Shawn Kyles stated: “There are ways to prevent potentially dangerous situations in a quake, like house bolting, which is anchoring the home to its foundation. Los Angeles and other So Cal city homes benefit from these procedures. And the chances of damage from an earthquake increase when there are any type of pre-existing foundation problems. If there is any chance your home has structural weaknesses, it’s a good idea to get a foundation inspection done by experienced foundation contractors before the next quake hits. Foundation issues can be addressed by a foundation repair expert who has an extensive history of work on homes in your area. Retrofitting is the best way to limit damage from an earthquake.”

Julian Construction has worked extensively in the field of home earthquake retrofitting to address structural issues in a home’s foundation. A home can be inspected if foundation problems are suspected to exist, or if the home’s foundation is many years old and has not been inspected. Data on the retrofitting procedure can be found here: http://julianconstruction.com/services/earthquake-retrofitting-or-house-bolting/

Julian De La Torre, founder of Julian Construction, stated: “We have been working and keeping up to date on how to retrofit a home so that you don’t have to. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether your home will be safe in the event of an earthquake. You should rest easy, knowing your home rests on a structurally sound foundation. We can inspect your home to find out what steps are needed to get it there.”

Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home. The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.com/blog/

Nepal Earthquake A Wake Up Call For Preparedness

Construction Company Calls For Earthquake Preparedness For Homeowners

LOS ANGELES, CA: Julian Construction, Inc., (http://julianconstruction.com/) a foundation construction and foundation repair company in Southern California, is calling for earthquake preparedness across California. The recent aftermath of the Nepal earthquake has keenly put attention on the issue of preparing for the next big earthquake to hit the Pacific coast.

In a recent article, building safety expert at Julian Construction, Shawn Kyles, stated: “The 7.8 earthquake that hit Nepal’s Katmandu Valley last Sunday is a tragedy. Nearly 4,000 people are confirmed dead, and that number is expected to rise. The damage to structures throughout the area has also been horrific, especially in Katmandu, the nation’s capital. It is believed that hundreds of people may still be trapped in the rubble. The quake struck approximately 50 miles northwest of Katmandu, and was felt as far away as Pakistan, Tibet and Bangladesh. There were numerous aftershocks, including a magnitude 6.7. If you live in California, news of the quake has probably started you thinking again about the Big One – the 8.0+ earthquake that is expected to hit this area within the next 30 years. It is believed the quake will occur along the San Andreas Fault and cause devastation up to 100 miles away.”

The full text of the article can be found here: http://www.julianconstruction.com/julianconstruction-com-the-nepal-quake-and-californias-big-one/

Julian Construction is urging all homeowners to do their part, and be prepared for the next big earthquake. The company stresses that a home foundation inspection is a major part of ensuring that a home is made safe. A competent foundation inspection, followed by correcting any faults in the home’s foundation, will help to ensure a more stable and safe structure in the event of an earthquake.
Julian De La Torre, founder of Julian Construction, stated: “It is not a question of ‘if’. It is a question of when the next big earthquake will hit California. We all need to do our part to be ready. To save lives and preserve property, everyone must do their part to ensure we are prepared. Call for an inspection, get a competent and professional assessment of what your home will need to be ready in the event of an earthquake.”

Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home. The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.com/blog/

JulianConstruction.com: The Nepal Quake and California’s “Big One”

By Shawn Kyles

The 7.8 earthquake that hit Nepal’s Katmandu Valley last Sunday is a tragedy. Nearly 4,000 people are confirmed dead, and that number is expected to rise. The damage to structures throughout the area has also been horrific, especially in Katmandu, the nation’s capital. It is believed that hundreds of people may still be trapped in the rubble. The quake struck approximately 50 miles northwest of Katmandu, and was felt as far away as Pakistan, Tibet and Bangladesh. There were numerous aftershocks, including a magnitude 6.7.

If you live in California, news of the quake has probably started you thinking again about the Big One – the 8.0+ earthquake that is expected to hit this area within the next 30 years. It is believed the quake will occur along the San Andreas Fault and cause devastation up to 100 miles away.

Did you know that the water supply for San Francisco Peninsula residents comes from two sources (the San Andreas Lake and Crystal Springs reservoir) that sit on top of the fault, or that the fault passes through three key transportation, power and utility corridors in southern California?

Experts believe that if the fault ruptures, it will break almost everything that crosses it. In one study, a scenario was created in which a large earthquake ruptured the fault for 200 miles. According to the report, there would be 100 seconds of shaking, and the ground near the fault would shift as much as 20 feet in some places. In other places, there would be back and forth movement of up to 6 feet every second, causing houses to fall off of their foundation.

Earthquake scientists have been saying for years that a big quake could level cities with poorly built masonry structures. Katmandu was considered one of those types of cities. Many of its buildings are made of brick, clay, timber and stone. Other cities considered to be at risk for similar reasons include Mexico City, Mexico and Istanbul, Turkey.

Here’s something else to think about. The Earth is made up of large, broken plates. These are sections of the planet’s lithosphere, the solid, outermost shell of the earth. There are 7 major plates and 8 minor plates. All of the plates on the planet are in continuous motion. You will find the largest number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions where these plates meet. They happen all of the time. There are an estimated 50 earthquakes taking place each day across the planet. In fact, the number of earthquakes with a magnitude 7.0 and above has been increasing over the past 30 years.

In Nepal, the India Plate is moving under the European Plate. In California, the Pacific Plate is sliding next to the North American Plate. Both regions experience quite a bit of seismic activity.

In California, considerable efforts are being made to ensure commercial and residential buildings are earthquake-proof. Even so, many structures are still not retrofitted. It’s important for anyone in California to know whether or not their home could withstand a large earthquake. Houses with no earthquake retrofitting can fall off the foundation or collapse when the ground starts to shake. Sometimes, damage can be severe enough to require the home be torn down.

There are ways to prevent potentially dangerous situations in a quake, like house bolting, which is anchoring the home to its foundation or house leveling. Los Angeles and other So Cal city homes benefit from these procedures. And the chances of damage from an earthquake increase when there is any type of pre-existing foundation problems.

If there is any chance your home has structural weaknesses, it’s a good idea to get a foundation inspection done by experienced foundation contractors before the next quake hits. Foundation issues can be addressed by a foundation repair expert who has an extensive history of work on homes in your area. Retrofitting is the best way to limit damage from an earthquake.

Shawn Kyles, expert in Los Angeles foundation inspection, repair & house bolting at Julian Construction (http://www.julianconstruction.com) in Los Angeles, has inspected over 15,000 structures for building & safety (http://julianconstruction.com/about/ ). See their video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I8j7dXzpj4