Seismic retrofitting strengthens your home’s foundation and structure to better withstand shaking, helping protect your family, reduce repair costs, and preserve property value. Our team specializes in residential retrofits using proven, code-compliant methods—quickly and affordably.
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Earthquakes exert powerful forces that can severely damage homes—especially those built before modern seismic standards. The images below highlight typical failure patterns found in older, unretrofitted houses. The final image shows how a properly retrofitted home can remain stable and secure during seismic events.
Seismic retrofitting strengthens a home's ability to resist earthquake forces by reinforcing the lateral force resisting system—the parts of the structure that prevent it from swaying, racking, or sliding during ground movement.
A complete retrofit involves improving the connections between the foundation and the wood-framed structure using key structural components: fasteners, plywood shear panels, and concrete anchors. Each plays a vital role, and together they form an integrated defense against seismic forces.
Fasteners connect the framing members together so the structure can respond as one cohesive unit. Without these ties, parts of the house may shift or separate under stress.
Common fasteners include:
Installed correctly, these fasteners transfer loads between structural elements and prevent movement at critical joints.
Plywood shear panels brace cripple walls—the short walls between the foundation and the main floor. These panels resist lateral (side-to-side) forces and prevent the wall from collapsing or “racking” during an earthquake.
Plywood installation involves:
When installed properly, these panels distribute forces and add stiffness to the structure.
Concrete anchors secure the wooden sill plate to the concrete foundation. This is critical—without anchorage, an earthquake can cause the house to slide off its foundation.
Types of anchors:
Code requirements typically include:
Anchoring ensures that seismic forces are transferred safely into the ground.
These components only protect your home when they work together:
Together, they create a continuous load path that distributes seismic energy from the roof all the way to the ground. This reduces the chance of catastrophic failure, protects your investment, and most importantly, keeps you and your family safer during an earthquake.
We start by getting to know your home, your concerns, and the seismic risks you may face. During this consultation, we’ll explain the process, the benefits of retrofitting, and determine whether retrofitting is the right option for your property.
Our engineers visit your home to conduct a detailed inspection of your foundation, framing, and seismic vulnerabilities. We also analyze site-specific factors to gather the data needed for a custom retrofit plan.
With the data from the site evaluation, we create a custom engineering design that enhances your home’s seismic resistance. Our designs ensure compliance with local codes and include solutions like foundation bolting, shear walls, and bracing systems.
Once the design is finalized, we provide you with the completed retrofit plans. These plans are ready for you to submit to your local city or county for approval. While we don't handle the submission directly, we offer guidance and support to ensure everything is in order for a smooth approval process.
Throughout the construction process, we work alongside your contractor to ensure everything is built to spec. Our engineers are available for consultations and site visits to address any concerns or adjustments during construction.
After construction, we conduct a final walkthrough and provide the necessary documentation for final inspections. We’re here to ensure everything is completed to the highest standards and fully meets local requirements.
At Lok Engineering, we help Bay Area homeowners and property owners protect what matters most—their safety and their homes. With over 20 years of combined experience in residential design and structural engineering, we specialize in seismic retrofitting to make buildings stronger, safer, and code-compliant.
We’re Ryan Lok and Vi Giang—two structural engineers with deep roots in the Bay Area. Over the years, we’ve worked on a wide range of residential projects, from custom home designs to major structural upgrades. We've seen firsthand how critical it is to prepare homes for the next big earthquake.
Today, we focus our expertise where it matters most: delivering smart, effective, and tailored retrofitting solutions to protect local homes.
Whether you’re a homeowner, a realtor assisting a client, or a contractor in need of engineering support, we’re here to help you navigate the retrofit process from start to finish.
Let’s make the Bay Area safer—one retrofit at a time.
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