Kamran Foulad is the president of E-tech Construction and Development, one of the leading seismic retrofit companies of southern California. He is also a veteran of the nuclear power plant and aerospace industries with expertise in the seismic behavior of structures.

                E-Tech Construction is seriously concerned regarding the number of commercial and residential buildings as well as bridges that are in need of seismic retrofitting. It is clear that unless retrofitted, the next sizable earthquake will turn these buildings and bridges into death traps for their occupants. One type of alteration is non structural seismic retrofitting. Non- structural retrofitting applies to any object which is not seismically secure and can become loose during an earthquake. This particularly applies to high rise buildings like hospitals or offices that are at risk.

The retrofitting cost is nominal compared to major repair or replacement of structures. Other significant advantages of retrofitting include:

·         Saving lives and avoiding serious injuries during earthquakes.

·          Prevent buildings from facing costly repairs or collapse.

·          Eliminate damaged buildings being red tagged and businesses forced into vacating the premises and closing operations.

·         Along with the businesses, the building owners also suffer from loss of tenants and income.

·         Property, health, and life insurance companies can avoid outrageous claims.

·         Seismic retrofitting will also create jobs in the construction industry generating revenue for material supply houses as well as tax revenue for the government.

Unfortunately many commercial building owners cannot obtain earthquake insurance which means if the building is severely damaged or collapses there is no replacement option in today’s economy.

E-Tech believes that insurance companies and government agencies should provide funding as well as incentives to owners of these vulnerable properties so they can undergo seismic retrofitting.