Earthquake Preparedness- Seismic Retrofit
An earthquake will destroy a sizable portion of the coastal Northwest. The question is when.
When the next very big earthquake hits, the northwest edge of the continent, from California to Canada, will drop by as much as six feet and rebound thirty to a hundred feet to the west. Some of that shift will take place beneath the ocean, displacing a colossal quantity of seawater. One side will rush east, in a seven-hundred-mile liquid wall that will reach the Northwest coast fifteen minutes after the earthquake begins. By the time the shaking has ceased and the tsunami has receded, the region will be unrecognizable. FEMA says, “Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast.” - The New Yorker Magazine, July 20, 2015 Issue, "The Really Big One" by Kathryn Schulz
PROTECT YOUR FAMILY
"The Really Big One" - The New Yorker
"... If only the southern part of the Cascadia subduction zone gives way, the quake will be somewhere between 8.0 and 8.6. That’s the big one. If the entire zone gives way at once, the magnitude will be somewhere between 8.7 and 9.2. That’s the very big one..."
Seismic Retrofit Foundation Plates
During an earthquake, the strength of a house is put to the test. Our Structural Engineer will visit your home and recommend cost-effective steps to reinforce your home. Typically, we install Simpson URFP foundation plates to connect your home to its foundation and then connect the posts and beams in your crawlspace. Other steps may include reinforcing your concrete foundations, reinforcing or removing brick chimneys, securely attaching hot water heaters and reinforcing cripple walls.
Northridge Gas Shut Off Valve
Prevent gas fires caused by earthquakes. The Northridge valve shuts off your gas during an earthquake giving you peace of mind. It contains a stainless steel ball that rests on a platform inside the valve allowing gas to flow. During an earthquake of 5.2 or greater, the stainless steel ball falls from the platform and plugs the outlet, stopping the flow of gas. You can turn the gas back on by manually resetting the valve.
Foundation Reinforcement
Some older homes were built on cement block foundations or unreinforced concrete basements that don't have the strength to withstand an earthquake. Our Structural Engineer will visit your home and help us select the best method to reinforce your foundation. We have several techniques, such as adding rebar and shotcrete to create a new concrete foundation to support your home, or adding structural steel to reinforce your basement walls. We can also bring in specialists to add soil anchors for problematic soil conditions and steep slopes.
What our Clients are Saying
“They were flexible, on time, on budget, and very responsive to all the changes. Strongly recommend them! They don't tell stories, are honest, do what they say, just plain good folks to work with!”
Andrejs Auskaps, Monroe
See the Bellfountain Estate project
“We are repeat customers who demand high quality, high touch and tight timeframes of the large scale remodel projects for our Corvallis sorority. GCCI was also our go-to for the unexpected ... we received exceptional service to get the house livable in just over 2 week's time.”
Jen Humcke, Alpha Phi, Corvallis
See the Sorority Basement Remodel project
“We live in an historic district and Elizabeth did a great job preparing a design which complements our house. She facilitated a smooth historic preservation permit approval. Building a carpentry shop raises a number of non-standard construction issues. Carl patiently answered our many questions. His knowledge of energy efficiency practices was very helpful. Ron, who runs the cabinet shop, provided invaluable insights regarding layout, power needs, etc. Ben and the entire G. Christianson Construction crew were reliable, on time, and hardworking. It was a pleasure to work with Carl, Elizabeth, Ben and the rest of the team. The end result is a beautiful and functional shop – a dream come true. ”
Josh Smith, Corvallis, OR
See the Historic-Inspired Outbuilding project
