The Role of Damping Systems in Seismic Foundation Retrofitting

Seismic foundation retrofitting is of paramount importance when it comes to safeguarding your property from the devastating impact of earthquakes. Retrofitting becomes a crucial step in ensuring the longevity and safety of your property, especially in areas with high seismic activity, such as Renton.

One of the key components that contribute significantly to the effectiveness of this seismic retrofitting is the use of damping systems. But what exactly are these systems, and how do they work? Let’s dive deeper into this topic to gain a better understanding.

Unveiling Damping Systems: An Integral Part of Seismic Retrofitting

Damping systems are technologies designed to absorb and dissipate the energy generated by seismic activities, reducing the extent of oscillations a building might experience during an earthquake. By doing so, these systems help prevent or lessen structural damage, enhancing the overall resilience of the building.

Types of Damping Systems in Seismic Retrofitting

Damping systems used in seismic retrofitting can be broadly classified into the following categories:

Viscous Damping Systems: These systems employ fluid-filled devices to absorb the energy generated by an earthquake, similar to how shock absorbers work in a car.
Friction Damping Systems: These systems use mechanical friction between surfaces to reduce seismic energy.
Metallic Yielding Damping Systems: These systems use specially designed metallic components that yield under seismic loads, absorbing energy.
Elastomeric Damping Systems: These systems use rubber-like materials to absorb and dissipate seismic energy.

How Do Damping Systems Work in Seismic Retrofitting?

Regardless of their type, all damping systems work by converting the seismic energy into another form, primarily heat, and dissipating it, thereby preventing the energy from being transferred to the building’s structure.

The Benefits of Using Damping Systems in Seismic Retrofitting

There are numerous benefits to incorporating damping systems into your seismic retrofitting strategy:

Improved Building Safety: By reducing the energy transferred to the building during an earthquake, damping systems can prevent structural collapse, significantly enhancing the safety of the building’s occupants.
Reduced Repair Costs: By mitigating structural damage, damping systems can also minimize the repair costs that follow a seismic event.
Enhanced Building Resilience: The integration of damping systems increases the overall resilience of the building, enabling it to withstand stronger seismic activities without severe damage.

Are you looking to safeguard your property against seismic threats? Contact us at Evergreen Seismic. As the most trusted seismic foundation retrofitting specialists in Renton, WA, we’re committed to providing top-notch service, ensuring the safety and longevity of your building. Reach out today and let our team of experts design and implement the most effective damping system for your property.

Evergreen Seismic was amazing to work with. Matt was quick to respond to our initial query, and took the time to walk us through the process and answer questions when he came out to look at the house. His bid was very clear and thorough. He's also a great communicator and made the whole process extremely smooth once we decided to go forward. We really appreciated that nothing felt rushed or unexpected. The crew here doing the work was considerate, patient with any questions we had, and kept us updated every day about what was going on. They did a really great job retrofitting our basement and crawl space and took care of some necessary repairs as well. We were lucky enough to have Evergreen recommended to us, so passing on the recommendation now! We would hire them again with zero reservations.

Amelia Apfel

Evergreen Seismic and Matt were such blessings to us during our seismic retrofit on a Bellevue home we just bought! Matt and his crew, Phil and Nick, were all equally tremendous and beyond helpful to us and my inlaws! We were hell bent on seismically retrofitting by removing drywall interiorally vs sidings exteriorally. And Matt was accommodating to our request. As a hedge though, we knew we wanted a contractor who knows how to retrofit by both methods should a need arises during the retrofit peocess! And Matt fits the bill with his extensive knowledge and years working in earthquake retrofitting. They say never open up drywall if you don't want to find out what deep dark secrets lie underneath. And boy, did we unearthed a structurally problematic framing job on most all the studs holding up an exterior wall of the house, which threw my husband and I in a loop thinking of the scope creep. But Matt stuck with us, helped to sister in all new 2x4s on the compromised studs, and best yet didnt charge us an arm and a leg to fix the framing issue because he truly cares about doing the best job at the most economical rate. The framing job along with the seismic retrofit all easily passed various round of inspections. What started as out as contractor/client relationship became friendship based on what transpired with our house framing issue. We can only hope to find contractors as knowledgeable and honest as Matt and crew!

Cindy Hedrick

I would hire Matt again in a heartbeat. Not only do he and his crew perform good work (in my case, seismic retrofit) at a fair price, he combines his core competencies with great people skills and clear, timely, winsome communication. I am especially grateful to Matt because he was ever so patient with me when I suffered long COVID a few weeks after signing the contract, prompting me to delay the project a few months while I recovered. Matt turned what I expected to be a stressful experience into a very good experience. I encourage anyone considering a seismic retrofit to invite Matt to visit you and give you an estimate. I expect that you, too, will be highly satisfied with the result.

Darrell Dorr

Matt did a fantastic job on the earthquake retrofit for our home. Our garage had never been so clean as it was after he was done with his work. Matt had the utmost professionalism through every step of the project. The contract clearly explained everything he was going to do, and he completed every step exactly as described. He thoroughly answered each of my questions during his initial visit in a way where he not only answered the question I asked, but gave background information to educate me on the topic of seismic retrofit. It's great to have the peace of mind that not only is my home now better able to withstand the "big one" that will eventually come to the PNW, but also that the work was done by a great company.

Matthew Offerman

Matt is knowledgeable and competent, and he communicates clearly before and during the job. He made sure that we knew what our options were, and that we understood them. Matt is a friendly, likable person and obviously cares about doing a professional job. He wants his customers to be happy. It was soon clear that we could count on Matt and his team to show up on time and also to clean the site each day before they left. They worked all day each day until the project was finished. I would certainly recommend Evergreen Seismic to anyone who wishes to retrofit their home. I have confidence now that my 1901 home is in much better shape to withstand a significant earthquake without coming off the foundation.

Catherine Wesley

Matt came out to see if our house needs a retrofit and I was absolutely blown away by his honesty, knowledge and professionalism. He advised against retrofitting our house due to the newer age of the home but did provide me with a tonne of useful information that I did not come across during my research and while speaking with other retrofit companies.

Ana Lenskiy

I was extremely pleased with the seismic retrofitting job Matt and his team completed for me. The entire experience was seamless. Matt was extremely informative during the bidding process and everything was completed on time and to a high standard. The work site was cleaned everyday and work plans and schedules were clearly communicated. It's obvious that Matt and his team really care about performing quality work. To echo another review, if I could hire them for all my home renovations, I would.

Sarah Weil

They did a wonderful job on the seismic retrofitting. Our 1926 house is noticeably more stable. The workers were very pleasant to have in our home, and they cleaned up shockingly well when they were done. If we could hire them for the rest of our home improvement job we would.

Allyson Lanter

It’s a matter of time, experts say, before the Northwest shudders under another massive tectonic plate earthquake or the Puget Sound region succumbs to a big quake from one of its faults. Wood frame homes generally survive the earth shaking. But there’s a risk of them sliding off the foundation. Split-level homes also may crumble along the pony wall, sometimes called a cripple wall, that supports the upper level. Quake risks were not that well known when my home was built in Bothell in 1975. In the summer of 2022, Evergreen Seismic upgraded the house with a retrofit. This included installing anchor bolts and hold-downs into the foundation and bracing the walls in places with ¾-inch CDX plywood. Owner Matt Robinson and his crew worked in a tight crawlspace. They also removed some outside siding to brace the pony wall, upgrading the insulation before replacing the siding. Matt handled all the required engineering plans, permits and inspections. Matt showed he is skilled in retrofitting. He communicated clearly about scope of the work and scheduling. The site was cleaned after each day and neatly finished at the conclusion. The retrofit improved the safety of my home. I have documentation that I believe adds to its value. Of various people we’ve had in our home from time to time for repairs or remodeling, Matt Robinson is one of the best. I recommend Evergreen Seismic for its quality of work and service. Doug in Bothell

Doug Esser