Poor drainage is often the cause of structural problems. We specialize in assessing drainage problems and proposing realistic solutions. Excessive moisture conditions in the subarea might be helped by installing additional ventilation. Roof water should be diverted away from the structure and preferably drained to the curb whenever possible. Substructure flooding can be alleviated with french drains and sump pumps.

Many of the foundations under homes in the East Bay are 50 – 100 years old. They often lack reinforcing steel bar, and are shallow and poorly drained. Live Oak Structural will visit the site, assess the condition of the foundation, and make recommendations for remedial action. The recommendation can range from simply monitoring the foundation over time, to partial or complete foundation replacement. If poor drainage is a problem, a new drainage system can be installed at the same time. When necessary, Live Oak works closely with a number of local structural engineers and architects.

In an earthquake, the basic motion of the ground is a sudden, powerful, back-and-forth horizontal shaking. Seismic strengthening is designed to help a building resist the earth movement and, primarily, to increase the protection of the health and safety of the occupants. Seismic strengthening is not earthquake proofing. A seismic retrofit usually consists of strengthening the attachment of the house to the foundation with extra foundation bolts, installing plywood shearwall on the lower walls to absorb the energy of the motion, and strengthening the connection between the lower and upper floors with metal connectors. Depending on the structure, location and budget, LOS can perform a variety of seismic retrofits, from installing foundation bolts to sophisticated structural moment frames.