Seismic Retrofit for Raised Foundations

When it comes to resilience during a major earthquake, some homes perform better than others. This largely has to do with when a structure was built — more specifically due to the building standards at the time of its construction. Homes built before 1985, for example, and particularly those built on raised foundations, can be especially susceptible to earthquake damage.

Fortunately, advances in structural engineering, lessons learned from past earthquakes and scientific research have paved the way for construction techniques that better equip homes to withstand a seismic event. And local and regional building codes now require all new houses in seismically vulnerable regions to meet higher construction and safety standards.