We believe that seismic compliance for non-structural components can be uncomplicated and cost effective. By providing solid solutions to the building community we can save significant costs for compliance and reduce the risk of failures caused by earthquakes. When the cost of implementing seismic restraint is reasonable, the construction community has greater incentive to install an affective seismic restraint system instead of assuming liability associated with “value engineering” out the code required seismic restraint. This results in a building that provides better life safety and reduced risk of costly economic losses associated with post earthquake repair and building down time. We believe that the best way to accomplish this is to begin the seismic design early in the building design process. To achieve code compliance at the lowest cost, it is better to obtain the services of a seismic engineer for all non-structural components during engineering design phase or through the general contractor instead of pushing it down to various subcontractors toward the end of the job. Having a single engineer in responsible charge of all the non-structural seismic provides a coordinated system resulting in significant savings. When the seismic design is relegated to various subcontractors, costs escalate due to mark-ups and numerous change orders due to in field coordination problems caused by incomplete seismic information on plans and specs. In addition, a uniform quality assurance can be maintained from design to installation and final inspection.

PETRA…. Derived from the Greek word meaning stone/rock. In the sometimes “shaky” world of seismic design, we at Petra Seismic Design build on a rock solid foundation of engineering experience, integrity, dedication, fairness, and reliability that guides our decisions and actions, providing excellence in seismic, shock, vibration isolation, and wind design service to our customers.