Soft story buildings, often found on the West Coast, are multi-story residential structures built above a ground-level garage, tuck-under parking garage, or a storefront. These buildings are characterized by wider openings and fewer partition walls on the first story compared to the upper stories. This design makes soft story buildings structurally vulnerable in the event of a major earthquake. In the past, such buildings have sustained significant damage or even collapsed during seismic events.

At Hanthel Consulting, we specialize in soft story retrofitting, a process that enhances the structural integrity of these buildings, making them more resilient to seismic activities. Our team of experts is well-versed in the latest retrofitting techniques and regulations, ensuring your building is not only safer but also compliant with local laws.

In recent years, cities such as San Francisco, Berkeley, and Los Angeles have passed laws requiring mandatory retrofitting for certain soft-story residential buildings. Our services are designed to help you navigate these requirements, from the initial assessment to the implementation of the retrofit solution.

Our soft story retrofit services include:

• Comprehensive building assessment to identify the need for retrofitting
• Design and planning of the retrofit solution, tailored to your building’s specific needs
• Implementation of the retrofit solution, ensuring minimal disruption to the occupants
• Compliance documentation to demonstrate adherence to local retrofitting laws
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With Hanthel Consulting, you can rest assured that your soft story building will be better prepared to withstand a major earthquake, ensuring the safety of its occupants and longevity of the structure. Contact us today to learn more about our soft story retrofit services.