Seismic activity can cause a lot of damage to older structures, and the foundation of your home may be vulnerable. There could already be damage from past earthquakes that needs to be repaired, and when you do these repairs, you are also going to want to retrofit your foundation. The foundation retrofitting will help make your home more stable and prevent damage during the next earthquake. The following seismic guide to foundation repairs and retrofitting structures will help you prepare your home for the next earthquake:
Inspect Your Foundation For Cracks and Damage Caused By Seismic Activity
The first step in repairs and earthquake retrofitting is to have your foundation inspected for existing damage. When you have the inspection done, you will also want to repair any existing damage that can get worse during another earthquake. Talk to the foundation repair contractor about options to repair the damage and retrofit your home with the right systems to prevent damage from returning.
Retrofit The Load-Bearing Points Of Foundation Footings, Pillars, And Beams
The load-bearing points of a structure are some of the most vulnerable areas of a structure during an earthquake. Therefore, these are the areas where you will want to retrofit your foundation with features like isolation systems that separate the movement of the earth from the structure of your home. These systems can help greatly reduce the damage to your home that can be caused by an earthquake.
Repair The Foundation And Structural Damage Caused By Past Earthquakes
When there has been seismic activity, this can cause serious damage to the structure of your home. After the seismic foundation retrofitting has been done, the existing damage to your foundation will also need to be repaired. These problems are often problems like cracks and movement of the foundation. The repairs that are done will also need to be inspected every few years to ensure they are holding up.
Update The Drainage and Waterproofing With Systems That Are Designed For More Flexibility
The drainage and waterproofing systems that help keep water out of your home can also be affected during earthquakes. These problems can be worse with old materials like clay drain tiles and asphalt-based sealants for waterproofing. Therefore, drainage and waterproofing systems need to be replaced with modern materials. The modern materials are flexible and less likely to break during an earthquake, which can cause problems to surface long after an earthquake because they often go unnoticed.
These are some things that you will want to do to repair your foundation and retrofit it to withstand damage when there is another earthquake in your area. If you need help with foundation repairs and earthquake retrofitting, contact a seismic retrofitting services contractor for help updating the structure of your home to withstand seismic activity.