Why Retrofitting is important for existing buildings to Improve Sustainability

Posted by Nova Bardot on December 30th, 2020

If your home or commercial building has become old and needs a new lease of life, then you should consider why retrofitting is important for old buildings.

Also, you will know about their benefits & how retrofitting can be a good option.

Recent earthquakes on national territory or in neighboring countries show that the risk seismic mainly concerns existing structures built prior to the application of standards earthquake resistance. 

The structures that have been constructed and designed in accordance with earthquake-resistant standards have only very rarely resulted in human damage. Soft Story Retrofitting in Los Angeles has become a financial concern for owners.

In view of societal developments, tending towards rejection risks, human and economic consequences of natural or anthropogenic accidental situations are less and less accepted. 

They should be anticipated in corrective actions that should be considered when the risks appear unacceptable and that there are economically reasonable and proportionate solutions. Faced with potentially very serious accidental situations damaging, but with a very long return time, the owners are often destitute because they do not have explicit criteria enabling them to base their strategy for controlling and reducing risks. 

The purpose of this post is to describe the context of current regulations in Los Angeles and take stock of the main difficulties encountered, as well as the diagnostic approaches that can be taken and reinforcement of existing buildings with regard to effects of seismic action.

Taking into account the seismic risk on the existing building assumes a rational approach, based on the Assessment of the building's performance and knowledge of the risks involved. 

An assessment of the situation with regard to criteria acceptability or rejection of risks. The definition of protection objectives that are not necessarily the same as those adopted for new constructions. Estimation of the technical relevance of actions corrective. 

The economic proportionality of these actions in terms of the risk reduction they confer. It is a question of not resorting to reinforcements of which the cost would be disproportionate to the interest socioeconomic that they would present. The search for optimization of actions, that is to say, that of investments offering the best gain in protection and risk reduction.

Increase The Resistance Of The Structure

Reinforcements with Shotcrete - The dry shotcrete technique makes it possible to reinforce the edge straps of structures, generate walls or increase the resistance of existing elements with or without the addition of reinforcement: reinforcement of columns and beams, reinforcement of sheeting walls screed of floors, etc.

The LUX Construction Group Inc which is a soft story retrofit contractor has Shotcrete Reinforcement Solution, Shotcrete can be used indoors, always where work areas are confined. This technique allows reinforcing the reinforced concrete columns by confinement, beams in bending, and walls in shear on your plane. It is also possible to reinforce the edge bands. 

These reinforcements offer the advantage of not adding weight or creating too much rigidity in the structure, preventing the amplification of the seismic stresses to which it is subjected and, above all, the foundation overload.

The Reinforcement Solution Using A Bi-directional Fiber Weaves

TFC can be combined with carbon fiber anchors and bolts, using an anchor respectively short fixed with resin or a long anchor materialized by the bar of corrugated passive steel anchored with cementitious mortar. 

Repair of concrete after earthquake Structures damaged by an earthquake often show cracks and more or less pronounced delaminations. The concrete repairs locally by injecting the cracks and/or restoring the section using epoxy or other suitable material.

Increase The Strength Of The Structure

LUX Construction Group Inc creates prestressed diaphragms by means of tendons external prestressing anchored in struts or crowning beams additional.

The tendons can be arranged horizontally and in that case, they join opposite faces of a building or vertically compressing the structure in the plane of the facade. The vertical tendons anchored to the foundation help the structure when subjected to reversed moments. It will be necessary to check whether the introduction of additional efforts in the structure and the foundation, demands complementary reinforcements.

Reinforcement By External Buttresses

The solution through reinforced concrete buttresses, placed on one or two sides of the building. They allow to resist the efforts of horizontal seismic and guarantee the descent of the loads to the foundation. Buttress shoes also contribute to reinforcing the foundation of the structure.

This type of reinforcement has the advantage of requiring only an external intervention without disturbing the activity inside of the building. It can bring many benefits when combined with the installation of prestressed perimeter edge beams or straps. Reinforcement with reinforced concrete walls.

The realization of reinforced concrete walls is usually an indispensable complement for the improvement of the functional scheme of the structure during an earthquake, as it guarantees stability and adequate continuity of lowering loads. 

These can be arranged both outside and inside of the building, and can also be combined with the beams or straps of prestressed perimeter edges, thus improving the global behavior.

An integrated offer of prevention and seismic protection of buildings already built guaranteed by the specialist in structural repair and reinforcement. LUX Construction Group Inc, a real estate development company, which is one of the top construction companies in Los Angeles, offers you the guarantee of a turnkey service thanks to its sixty years of experience in technical repair, reinforcement, and protection of structures, including the design and manufacture of protection devices against earthquakes.

Is My Building Retrofitted Los Angeles?

An earthquake can cause serious damage to a home, especially if the building has not been retrofitted. Retrofitting is the modification of a structure by adding new components to make the building powerful.

The Benefit Of Retrofitting in Existing Buildings at Los Angeles  

1. Earthquake -resistant building with an increasing life span

2. Reinforcement strategy helps in maintaining the existing architecture that is safe to stay. 

3. Modeling and dynamic analysis of the reinforced structure helps in the maintenance of the existing buildings

4. Carrying out reinforcement works on the structure and its foundations ensure that the damages are repaired

The well-known construction companies like Lux Construction Group in Los Angeles put their experience and expertise in implementing retrofit solutions as per the ordinance passed to reinforce the earthquake retrofit, and to repair existing buildings.