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Soft-Story Retrofit for Inspectors

Inspection is the last step in the soft-story retrofit process. This critical step ensures that the soft-story retrofit was properly designed and constructed to meet the retrofit design codes and guidelines. As Inspectors, you are the liaison between the building owners, designers, contractors and the city.

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SF Ordinance and Retrofit Solutions

San Francisco

The Strong Frame® special moment frame: an ideal, safe and cost-effective solution

LA Ordinance and Retrofit Solutions

Los Angeles

The Strong Frame® special moment frame: an ideal, safe and cost-effective solution

Follow the Five Steps of the Soft-Story Retrofit

1. Inspecting Soft-Story Retrofits According to the Mandate

Soft-story retrofit inspection criteria will differ from city to city depending on that city's soft-story mandate. Inspectors will need to be familiar with their city's guidelines and ensure that those guidelines are adhered to during the soft-story retrofit.

To find out more information about your city's mandate, refer to the corresponding soft-story mandate informational website.

2. Partnering with Soft-Story Retrofit Providers

Understanding the role that each provider plays in the soft-story retrofit process will assist inspectors in knowing what to look for during the inspection phase. Other providers, such as designers and contractors, can be a great source of information regarding inspection criteria.

Some cities, such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, have hosted earthquake fairs that bring together designers, contractors, financial institutions and other vendors to bring awareness and education regarding the soft-story mandate.

To the right are links to these retrofit fairs as well as additional resources to find professionals who undertake soft-story retrofits.

3. Distinguishing Soft-Story Retrofits Products in Design Plans

Inspectors need to understand how certain products are designed and installed to know how they will impact the inspection criteria. We design products that are both easy to install and inspect. Our Strong Frame® special moment frame, for example, is an all-bolted connection and thus requires no on-site weld inspection. Our Strong-Wall® Wood Shearwall with its front, side and back access holdown makes inspection easier when framing surrounding the shearwalls has already been constructed.

Simpson Strong-Tie has an extensive line of soft-story retrofit products that include Strong Frame moment frames, Strong-Wall shearwalls and a broad line of wood connectors and anchoring systems that can help reinforce your soft-story building against collapse.

See our product page for more details about each product and how they work together to strengthen your building's resiliency.

4. Installing Soft-Story Retrofit Products

The most important aspect of a soft-story retrofit for contractors is ensuring that the products are properly installed. Simpson Strong-Tie products are designed with ease of installation in mind, as well as how the installation process will affect building owners and tenants.

This design philosophy is evident in our Strong Frame special moment frame and Strong-Wall Wood Shearwall. The Strong Frame special moment frame requires no field welding and no special tools for the all-bolt connection. No field welding also means that there is no need for bracing and no possibility of dangerous welding fumes and fires.

The Strong-Wall Wood Shearwall was redesigned with the installer in mind. The new holdown now has front, side and back access to the anchor bolt, which alleviates many of the installation challenges faced by contractors in the field.

To see how our Strong Frame special moment frame and Strong-Wall Wood Shearwall are installed, visit our video library.

5. Inspecting Soft-Story Retrofit Products

Not passing inspection means expensive fixes that cost both time and money. Properly installed products minimize down time for inspection issues, such as being red-tagged. Contractors need to make sure that they understand what Special Inspectors are looking for, especially when deadlines are tight.

The City and County of San Francisco Department of Building Inspection has issued a list of Recognized Special Inspection and Testing Agencies.

City of San Francisco Recognized Special Inspection and Testing Agencies List (pdf)