A Better, Less Costly Bracing System for Soft-Story Buildings By Thor Matteson, SE, Quake Brace Mfg. Co.
Earthquakes pose a serious threat to “soft-story” apartment buildings (Figure 1), and by now many owners are aware of this hazard, or of city requirements to strengthen such buildings. My structural engineering firm focused on designing earthquake “retrofits” (structural upgrades to make older buildings more earthquake resistant) almost exclusively for the last 12 years. This…