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
“With our general idea of what we wanted in a remodel, they brought invaluable help with design and planning. They carried out the plan with incredible attention to detail and skill.”
Richard Robbins, Corvallis, OR
See the Modern Compact Bathroom Remodel project
See the Mary’s River Bathroom Addition project“My husband and I couldn’t be happier with the master bedroom/bath remodel undertaken recently for us by G. Christianson Construction. I had a vision and Carl helped make it a reality. Everyone on the G. Christianson team is absolutely top-notch in terms of skills, and just in general being lovely people to have around. Carl seems to have a knack for finding and securing the talents of the best subcontractors, too. We are thrilled with the results of the project. In fact, I would say it turned out even better than we imagined and hoped!”
“Greg and Carl have done three different projects for us. I have been impressed every time with their clear and friendly communication, knowledge and experience, work ethic, and attention to detail. I liked that on each project there were no surprises...the cost came in right at the estimate. It's apparent when you work with them that they are interested in building long term relationships, not just making money on one particular job. It's also clear they are good employers to their workers, have strong relationships with a wide range of subcontractors, and have extensive knowledge regarding permitting, etc. I would be very reluctant to go with any other company in town.”
Kate & Kevin Day, Corvallis
See the A Lighter-than-Air Spa Bath project
