Seismic Mitigation - Earthquake Preparedness

Earthquake preparedness is not always uppermost in the minds of business owners, often because of things like budgets and neglect of the threat of earthquakes, but seismic mitigation is a must if you’re in an earthquake zone. Let’s face it, it’s probably not a hot button issue for some people and there is a cost involved, but given the unpredictability of earthquakes, preparedness is essential and part of being prepared is undertaking seismic mitigation programs. Irrespective of how large or small your business is, you really can’t afford to ignore the need for seismic mitigation as it will ensure that you stay in business in the event of an earthquake. If you’ve been paying attention to the repeated warnings from all the experts that we’re overdue for a big one, then you should also heed their advice about the need for seismic mitigation. That’s right. They may not always use that exact phrase, but when earthquake experts across the United States talk about the need for earthquake preparedness they talk about the #1 thing to do which is to secure your space. That means your equipment should be fastened down. Data Center Seismic Mitigation Let’s use data centers as an example. If your business stores data, either for your own purposes or for other companies, you can’t afford to run the risk of losing it all should an earthquake literally knock over your mainframe computers, LAN cabinets or communication equipment racks. Needless to say that would be devastating. It could be so massive that you couldn’t recover from it, leaving you out of pocket and out of business. So how do you guard against a potentially crushing blow of that magnitude? You make sure that everything that can be fastened down is secured in place. And how do you do that? Bring in the seismic mitigation experts. Many methods of fastening have been developed for large items through the access floor to the concrete subfloor. Fasteners can have a quick-disconnect feature so the equipment can be removed for

maintenance. Many computer room access floors do not have braced vertical supports, making them susceptible to lateral collapse in an earthquake. These problems and many others can be overcome.

Auxiliary framing, cable rack and fiber duct installation, as well as bay, cabinet and rack anchoring are all jobs that can be handled right there on your campus. All work can meet Seismic Zone 4 standards, or better and fastening systems can be designed and built to your specifications. A site survey and evaluation will determine what needs to be done to secure your equipment. Installation services are available for large and small computer rooms. Seismic Protection Products and Services So how do you get started? A good beginning would be to call in the seismic mitigation experts who can recommend the right solutions to meet your needs. If you run a business in an earthquake zone you need to be prepared and we strongly encourage you to start the process of seismic mitigation today.