Optimum Seismic, a Southern California earthquake retrofit company, has launched a monthly industry newsletter called Seismic Waves. The Los Angeles firm announced it on February 8, 2018. Each issue covers recent earthquake news and the threat quakes pose to communities. It also tracks the work California cities are doing to become more resilient.
The newsletter is written for building owners, real estate professionals, mortgage bankers, architects, engineers and public officials. The goal is to help them judge earthquake risk and take steps toward resilience. That applies to single buildings and, in turn, to the wider economy.
The stakes are high. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Southern California would cause more than 1,800 deaths. It would also lead to 50,000 injuries and $200 billion in damage. Many of the lost buildings would come from the region’s affordable housing stock. As a result, that stock would take a disproportionate hit.
Ali Sahabi, chief operating officer of Optimum Seismic, sees education as a key step. Once people understand earthquake threats and solutions, he said, communities can be built to withstand a major quake. The newsletter will cover earthquake science, structural retrofit methods and policies meant to make cities safer. After all, he added, the work is about saving lives and protecting quality of life where quakes strike.
Optimum Seismic focuses on retrofit engineering and construction for multifamily and commercial buildings. Since 1984, it has completed more than 2,500 retrofits across California.
