In the Pacific Northwest, there are significant seismic hazards along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. This 600-mile-long fault increases the likelihood of an intraplate earthquake, which could result in devastating damage and fatalities. VIE provides seismic bracing design services in Oregon and Washington in order to help clients prepare for natural disasters and mitigate the damage they cause.
Seismic Risks In Oregon And Washington
Seismic analysis and bracing design are crucial in the Pacific Northwest due to the high seismic activity in these areas. The Cascadia Subduction Zone creates the risk of an M7 or greater earthquake within the next 50 years. The Pacific Ring of Fire, which is a tectonic belt in the Pacific Ocean, is a place where earthquakes commonly occur, due to tectonic plate interactions.
Not only are these two states at risk of an M7 or greater earthquake, they are also at risk of a resulting tsunami of up to 100 ft in height hitting the coastal areas. As such, proper seismic preparation is essential in order to preserve the life-safety condition of structures and mitigate damage that can result from such activity.
How Seismic Bracing Design Can Help
Most damage from earthquakes doesn’t result from the ground shaking itself, but rather from unrestrained non-structural systems, such as plumbing, fire water systems, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and more. Seismic bracing secures these systems, allowing them to move with the structure, rather than against it.
Seismic bracing design helps with safety, property protection, community resilience, and compliance with legal and insurance requirements.
- Safety. Seismic bracing helps buildings withstand seismic forces, which provides protection for human lives – something that cannot be overstated.
- Property Protection. Seismic bracing design mitigates the extent of damage to properties, which minimizes economic losses and helps with quicker recovery post-disaster.
- Community Resilience. When critical infrastructure remains functional after an earthquake, communities are able to stay resilient, as they have emergency response and recovery efforts.
- Legal and Insurance Requirement Compliance. It is often legally required to meet certain seismic codes, and whether these codes are met can affect insurability of properties and insurance premiums.
VIE’s experienced seismic engineers are here to provide you with the seismic engineering services you need to both save lives and protect critical systems.
VIE’s Experience In Oregon And Washington
VIE has completed many projects in Oregon and Washington, from numerous data centers to multi-story, mixed-use buildings, and so much more. We have served as the design engineer of record, seismic bracing installation contractor, bracing procurement and supply entity, and more. We serve the following types of clients:
- Public utilities
- Private owners of facilities
- State owners of facilities
- Federal facility owners
- Emergency management and response entities
- Municipal entities
- Insurance companies
- Investor groups
- And more
For a representative list of our projects in Oregon, Washington, or just in general, contact us, and we will be happy to provide you with whatever information you need.
Seismic Engineering Services In The United States
VIE Engineers provides the seismic engineering services you can count on throughout the United States. We go beyond simply meeting code requirements in order to ensure that our clients are provided with the most economical, technically effective seismic bracing designs for significantly enhanced value and safety.
We pull on our first-hand experience from investigating numerous natural disasters and from our 40+ years of experience in the industry in order to help you improve the life-safety condition of buildings, lifeline systems, and facilities.
To learn more about our seismic engineering services and whether we can assist you with your needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.
