California Has Funding for $3,000 Grants for Home Retrofits

Are you an engineer working with California clients whose homes were built before 1979 on a raised foundation?

Evident earthquake damage
Earthquake damage sustained by a two-story building over a cripple wall system after the Mexicali Earthquake (M7.2).

If you are, these clients may be among the 1.2 million California homeowners eligible for a seismic home retrofit. The state of California has approved the continuation of an initiative known as Earthquake Bolt + Brace (EBB). In its second year, this program plans to make as many as 1,600 grants to selected homeowners, nearly three times the number given the previous year. The EBB grant program provides up to $3,000 to homeowners residing in more than 150 California zip codes. Check to see whether your clients live within one of these communities here.

Simpson Strong-Tie has several different resources to assist you in helping your clients understand how to mitigate seismic risks to houses with raised foundations. The Seismic Retrofit Details sheet provides various ways to retrofit the cripple wall system using prescriptive methodologies, which can be adapted for engineered solutions. The picture below highlights the use of the Simpson Strong-Tie universal foundation plate (UFP) to attach the boltless sill plate of the cripple wall to the concrete stemwall. This simple step can help prevent the house from sliding off its foundation. The picture also reveals plywood sheathing used to reinforce the weak cripple wall system. Additional resources for retrofit can be found here.

earth2
Retrofit with UFP foundation plate in Napa, California

To help your clients better understand the impact these simple steps can have in preventing structural damage in an earthquake, click here to watch the story of a Napa business women who had purchased a structure with a raised foundation for her business and retrofitted it just prior to the 2014 M6.0 Napa earthquake, which caused considerable damage to many similar structures.

Let your clients know that the time to apply is very limited if they think they qualify for a retrofit grant. Registration for the 2016 EBB program ends on February 20. To register or learn more about the program, visit www.earthquakebracebolt.com.

When you finish a retrofit for one of your clients, we want to hear how it went. Let us know in the comments below.

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Author: Tim Kaucher

Tim Kaucher, P.E., is Director of Engineering for the Southwestern U.S. at Simpson Strong-Tie, where he leads engineering, training, and outreach teams that deliver responsive technical support, develop internal talent, educate customers, and connect with the next generation of industry leaders. As a member of the Riverside Branch Leadership Team, Tim helps set strategy and direction for the branch while ensuring the engineering organization is structured and resourced to meet customer needs quickly and professionally across the region. A licensed civil engineer with more than two decades of experience in both public and private sectors, Tim oversees regional and national literature review and validation testing programs. He regularly presents technical workshops and seminars and has authored technical posts on topics including seismic retrofit, Strong Frame installations, connectors and fasteners in treated wood, corrosion mitigation, and grant-supported home retrofits. Tim blends technical rigor with people-centered leadership. He earned an Executive Certificate in Leadership from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and has participated in leadership and employee-engagement programs, including Disney Institute workshops. His professional service includes leadership roles with Structural Engineers Association chapters and convention committees. Outside of work, Tim is active in his local community, including Eastvale Little League leadership, and brings a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach to helping engineers, architects, and contractors deliver safer, more resilient buildings. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering (Building Science) from USC.

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