Structural Earthquake Damage Danger in Seattle

Structural Earthquake Damage Danger in Seattle

(BTW, the title links to a longer write up on this topic)

The Seattle P-I recently reported that new research from UW and USGS reveal higher than previously estimated risks from earthquakes in some Seattle neighborhoods. You can read the article at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/335189_seismic12.html

Fortunately, many woodframe houses in Seattle lend themselves to structural retrofitting which may reduce the risk of damage. This includes the following steps:

1. Anchor the sill plate to the foundation wall;
2. Strengthen the short (pony) walls between the foundation and the first floor with wood sheathing;
3. Connect the pony walls to the floor framing and the sill plate with metal framing clips.
   

We wrote a whitepaper detailing this process. If you'd like a copy, feel free to contact me.