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You are here: Home » Resources » Articles » Geotechnical Factors for Assessing Seismic Risk and Building Retrofitting

August 9, 2019

Geotechnical Factors for Assessing Seismic Risk and Building Retrofitting

By Matthew Marcus, PE, GE, PG

Manage Risk Factors You Can Control

You hear the seismic magnitude scale announcements on the news immediately following any earthquake: ‘only’ a magnitude 2, a catastrophic magnitude 6. It should be noted that the earthquake magnitude is only one of the factors impacting seismic force and damage. However, when reported on the news, this is the most commonly-cited statistic, other than the devastation that ensues. In reality, the damage sustained by structures will depend much more on the ground acceleration felt and the resiliency of the structural design to handle lateral loads than just its seismic scale value. But what does that really mean? How is it determined?

To read the full blog on GlobeSt.com, click here.

About the Authors

Matthew Marcus, PE, GE, PG

Matthew Marcus, PE, GE, PG

Managing Director
Managing Director Matthew Marcus, GE, PE, PG, has over 25 years of experience in the engineering and construction industry including work on commercial, industrial, residential, education, public safety, public works, transportation, energy, waste management, mining, state, federal, Native American and other projects. He has worked on projects across the United States and is qualified to provide expert opinion and admissible testimony on the most complex geotechnical disputes.
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