Rehabilitation and Retrofitting Projects

The historic Atascadero City Administration Building was constructed between 1914 and 1918.  The four-story domed structure is of concrete post and beam with unreinforced brick infill wall construction. It was severely damaged during the 2003 San Simeon Earthquake.  Damage included settlement of the foundation, cracking of brick walls, spalled concrete columns, and heaving of the basement floor.  Earth Systems played an integral role in the design phase of the rehabilitation process for this significant structure. Our scope included a series of geotechnical investigations and analyses that were closely scrutinized by FEMA.  Earth Systems helped develop a plan to underpin the existing foundation using over 200 micropiles embedded into the underlying bedrock.  A structural slab was then cast in the basement over the retrofitted foundation. The remaining structure is currently being repaired using epoxy injection, shotcrete shearwalls, masonry anchors, and fiber reinforced polymer.  Earth Systems' scope of services during the design phase included analyses for liquefaction, seismicity, static settlement, and lateral earth pressures.  Currently, the rehabilitation project is under construction and Earth Systems is providing all of the materials testing and special inspection services for the City of Atascadero.

Following the 2003 San Simeon earthquake, it was determined that the main building at Flamson Middle School was damaged beyond repair.  Our firm was retained to perform a geologic hazards/seismic study and prepare a geotechnical engineering report for a replacement building to address the requirements of DSA.  Students and administrative offices were relocated to temporary buildings while the damaged building was demolished and a new building constructed.  We provided consultation during the design phase and testing/inspection during the construction of the new building, which was completed in time for the start of the 2010 school year.  Our services included materials testing and inspection of soil, concrete, masonry, steel, ceiling wire, and fireproofing; we provided brick shear testing, pull tests, and ultrasonic inspection as part of the work.  The project was partially funded by FEMA.

The rehabilitation of this historic structure involved continuous coring of the existing masonry walls, placement of rebar reinforcement and grouting, adding a reinforced concrete tie beam at the roof line, replacement of the tile roof, the addition of seismic ties, and improvements for handicapped access.  Earth Systems Pacific provided observation and testing of the core drilling, resin grouting, concrete placement, drilled anchor bolts, and welding, and materials testing of concrete, mortar, and resin grout.  We also performed R-meter testing to locate the existing wall ties at the start of the project.  

This historic adobe mission in San Miguel, California was severely damaged as a result of the 2003 San Simeon Earthquake.  To maintain the historic character of the Mission, new adobe bricks had to be manufactured to replace bricks damaged beyond repair by the earthquake.  Our firm was retained to provide testing of the authentic adobe bricks to determine their physical properties to allow for matching of the new bricks with the originals.  When the new bricks were manufactured, we conducted compressive strength testing and measurements of deformation under load. This information was used in the development of an appropriate program for seismic strengthening of the historic structure.  During the retrofit of the Mission, we provided materials testing and inspection services.  Seismic retrofitting of other buildings within the Mission compound is now being planned, and we recently completed coring and testing for concrete that had been used as part of the structural frame of the priests’ living quarters.