Understanding seismic risks and the potential for future losses due to earthquake occurrences are important to lenders, insurers and equity owners involved in real estate building deals. Probable Maximum Loss (PML) assessments identify building elements, soil types, expected lateral loads, and proximity to earthquake centers that contribute to a building’s potential risk. When building performance issues are identified, VERTEX can determine potential next steps for the mitigation or repair of a physical deficiency that will improve the seismic performance of the building so it will be acceptable to the User.
VERTEX offers various levels of Probable Maximum Loss (PML) assessment services to estimate earthquake-related losses as a percent of building replacement costs, as based on the ASTM E2026 and E2557 standards. By determining Scenario Expected Loss (SEL) and Scenario Upper Loss (SUL), and identifying building conditions that contribute to loss ratios and risk, we are better able to help our clients make informed business decisions. Additionally, VERTEX identifies how modifying, mitigating or removing such conditions can reduce that risk. We perform PML assessments with experienced, in-house structural engineers.
VERTEX designs and modifies existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes. Similarly, VERTEX retrofits for other natural hazards such as tropical cyclones, tornadoes and downbursts. Seismic retrofitting is primarily concerned with structural improvements, though VERTEX also provides retrofitting services for non-structural elements such as drainage and infrastructure.
Senior Structural Engineer
Ian Robertson, PE, SE
Ian Robertson is a Senior Structural Engineer at VERTEX in Southern California. He is both a licensed Civil and Structural Engineer in California with 30 years of seismic risk evaluation and seismic risk reduction experience. Evaluation, retrofit and repair design projects include both old and new buildings, even an underwater evaluation of a concrete municipal reservoir. Design experience includes steel structures in corrosive environments, wafer fabrication buildings and office buildings.
June 1, 2018
Zweig Group recently announced their 2018 Hot Firm List and 2018 Best Firms to Work For Award. VERTEX is proud to be ranked on both lists! The 2018 Hot Firm List honors the fastest growing firms in the architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting industries. Firms are ranked on three-year growth in revenue, by both percentage and…
May 17, 2018
VERTEX’s will be exhibiting at West Coast Casualty’s 25th Annual Construction Defect Seminar in Anaheim, CA on May 17th and 18th. If you see Chris Morley, Mark Degenaars, Kevin Maxwell, Matt Click, Pasha Ameli or Ashley Combs, be sure to stop and say hello! The West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar series is the largest event of…
May 9, 2018
May 7, 2018
VERTEX is proud to support the South Shore Health System Foundation. Benjamin Strong, COO and Jeffrey Picard, President, are active members of the South Shore Health System’s Presidents’ Circle. South Shore Health System (formerly, South Shore Health and Educational Corporation) is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, charitable Health System that provides a broad range of health services to…
April 30, 2018
VERTEX’s Project 50,000 was initiated earlier this month by our Phili-metro office. Congratulations to our PA team on opening the monumental Project Number! This project milestone represents a level of experience and achievement that few in the AEC industry can claim. This photo shows some of our PA team and was taken at lunch hour during…
April 11, 2018
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), over 500,000 people are treated each year for ladder related falls. Whether you use a ladder out in the field, in your workplace or at home, safety should always be your number one priority. At VERTEX, safety is part of our culture. We recently hosted…
October 25, 2017
What started as a desire for a board-formed concrete aesthetic cleared the path to utilize a cast-in-place concrete structural system for a new hotel resort in Puerto Rico. VERTEX is performing structural design services for the new resort, which includes approximately 50 villa-style guest-room buildings, a banquet hall, 2 restaurants, and other hotel amenity buildings. …
September 6, 2017
It is obvious that we are in the midst of a very active and dangerous hurricane season. The development of consecutive storms: Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia, has a lot of people asking questions. Many are also struck by the intensity of the 2017 hurricane season. Harvey had record breaking rainfall with 51.88″ recorded. That’s now…
June 2, 2017
Over the first two quarters of 2017, we have witnessed some interesting trends. Year to date, the NASDAQ is up by 15.36% and the S&P500 is up by 8.81%. The NASDAQ growth has largely been fueled by high tech companies such as Apple and Amazon. Despite the robust equities market, the US gross domestic product…
May 10, 2017
Structural inspections benefit from rope access as an alternative to traditional inspection methods in terms of cost effectiveness and convenience. The advantages of rope access are especially apparent to those in charge of commercial buildings and infrastructure system components. Cost Efficient Rope access requires less equipment, personnel, time, scheduling, and logistics than traditional structural inspections….
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