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san francisco earthquake mitigation film

Earthquake Mitigation Film in San Francisco

There are few experiences more terrifying than being caught in the midst of a violent earthquake. Adopting a seismic mitigation strategy is not only important for personal safety, but is also crucial for your ability to maintain compliance with building codes and permit requirements. Our earthquake mitigation films offer San Francisco property owners a revolutionary way to update older windows and high risk areas made of glass in order to reduce risk and maintain legal compliance.

earthquake mitigation film san francisco

Maintain Compliance with Building Code Requirements

San Francisco is high risk for earthquakes because of its location along the San Andreas fault line. While many earthquakes are so small that they are virtually unfelt, every once in a while, a major incident occurs. Each year, California experiences about two to three earthquakes that are significant enough to cause damage to buildings and structures. This is why cities like San Francisco have taken it upon themselves to implement stricter building codes in recent years.

Earthquake mitigation film is a low-cost solution that can be used to bring San Francisco homes and buildings up to date with current seismic codes. It is especially beneficial for cases in which:

  • The construction of the property occurred sometime during the 1980s or earlier years
  • The property is considered to be a historic building and therefore preserving the original glass is critical
  • Replacing all of the existing windows or glass areas would be costly and impose a severe financial burden
  • The building is not up to date with current seismic code requirements
  • There are windows or glass panes which are higher up than 9 ft off the ground
  • Annealed glass was used in the construction of the windows
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A Modern, Cost-Effective Method for Seismic Mitigation

The greatest risk during an earthquake isn’t the rupture itself, but rather the failure of buildings and their structural components. Earthquakes cause buildings to shift from side to side, which places structural components such as walls, windows, and flooring under a severe amount of stress. Components such as windows or skylights are at risk of becoming loose and falling out, endangering those inside the building. For this reason, it’s easy to see why FEMA’s Seismic Design Criteria states that “Critical nonstructural components must be provided with seismic restraint.”

For modern buildings, seismic mitigation is less of an issue. These buildings are built with earthquake mitigation strategies already in place. In older or historic buildings, it can be costly to implement a seismic mitigation strategy that brings the property up to code. That’s where safety window film comes into play.

Safety window film can be used to engineer a solution that complies with seismic code without imposing a severe financial burden to the property owner. Not only does it make the property safer, but doing this can also help with the process of being able to attain a building permit for renovation purposes.

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Customized Solutions Designed by Industry Professionals

Reduce risk, improve the safety of your property, and get up to code! With the right professionals on your side, you’ll be able to implement an effective seismic mitigation strategy for your San Francisco property. We’ll engineer a custom solution based on your building specs and requirements. Here are some of the crucial factors that we’ll take into consideration:

  • What type of glass exists in the building and needs to be restrained for safety purposes
  • The amount of shift that can occur within the existing glazing pocket
  • The height and location of all windows or features made of glass such as doors, floor to ceiling glass,  skylights, transoms, atriums, and domed ceilings
  • The type of window film that must be used for compliance
  • The possible need for a structural silicone as an attachment system
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Minimize Danger from Seismic Activity

Earthquakes happen, but you can be prepared. Take steps now to reduce your risk of being impacted by seismic activity in the future. Call our office today to discuss using window films as part of an engineered solution for seismic mitigation in San Francisco or any other city on the West Coast.

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