October 2026 Update:
Planning Beyond Concrete Building Screening
For more information contact us at nonductile@forell.com
Reference Links:
Concrete Building Safety Program | SF.gov
San Francisco’s recently published report, Policy and Financial Feasibility Study for the Concrete Building Safety Program, recommends a phased approach to mandatory seismic evaluations and retrofits, along with public disclosure of building and retrofit status. These recommendations could make seismic condition a more visible consideration for buyers, tenants, and building owners.
The report also recommends financial incentives and streamlined permitting to encourage voluntary seismic upgrades ahead of future mandatory requirements.
The study is intended to inform future policy, but it does not itself establish new retrofit requirements, deadlines, or incentive programs. The current screening deadline for buildings subject to San Francisco’s Concrete Building Screening Program is June 9, 2027.
For owners, this is an opportunity to connect seismic planning with upcoming renovations, lease transitions, and long-term capital investments. Forell | Elsesser can help complete screening, evaluate seismic vulnerabilities, and develop retrofit concepts with cost-estimating and construction partners to understand potential costs and disruption.
Contact nonductile@forell.com to discuss your building and next steps.
Protecting Your Investment, One Structure at a Time
Our team is here to help building owners proactively navigate upcoming non-ductile concrete building ordinances by offering early evaluations, allowing you to address potential issues now and significantly reduce future costs.
Forell Elsesser Structural Engineers is an award-winning firm renowned for its commitment to sustainability and resilience in structural engineering. The firm is recognized for its innovative approaches that address design challenges while prioritizing environmental responsibility. F|E leads the way in applying cutting-edge research and sustainable practices, including the integration of seismic base isolation systems, buckling restrained braced frames, and passive damped systems. By focusing on both practical implementation and advanced solutions, F|E ensures that each project not only meets rigorous safety standards but also contributes to a more sustainable and resilient built environment.
Brittle to Resilient
Prepare Your Building for Upcoming Seismic Ordinances
Non-ductile concrete ordinances are local regulations designed to protect building owners by addressing the risks associated with older concrete structures. Buildings constructed before modern seismic codes (typically before the 1980s) often lack the flexibility to withstand earthquakes, making them prone to catastrophic failure. By taking proactive steps to retrofit your building now, you can ensure its resilience, safeguard occupants, and comply with evolving safety standards, all while protecting your investment.
How We Can Assist Building Owners
Forell Elsesser is an industry leader with extensive experience in seismic retrofits, specifically addressing non-ductile concrete buildings. We develop solutions that streamline the retrofitting process. Our combined team offers cutting-edge analysis and advanced construction expertise to ensure your building meets modern safety standards. Non-ductile concrete buildings lack the steel reinforcement necessary to withstand seismic events, and our solutions are designed to fortify these structures, safeguarding your investment and enhancing occupant safety.
With our cutting-edge analysis and advanced construction expertise to ensure your building meets modern safety standards. Non-ductile concrete buildings lack the steel reinforcement necessary to withstand seismic events, and our solutions are designed to fortify these structures, safeguarding your investment and enhancing occupant safety.
Industry Leading Experience
Our team specializes in non-ductile concrete retrofit engineering ensuring your building meets modern structural safety codes and shielding you from potential legal and financial risks.
Partnering With Us Guarantees:
- Proactive Cost Management – With our strategic partners we can provide early and accurate cost estimates, allowing for better budget control.
- Design Accountability – Trust in a process where every design decision is backed by accountability and expertise.
- Proven Expertise – Benefit from our extensive experience in retrofitting and strengthening vulnerable structures.
Contact Us for Guidance on Next Steps
Have questions about San Francisco’s concrete building screening requirements? Contact Forell | Elsesser to discuss your property and how we can help.
We’ll help you understand the process and identify the appropriate scope of services for your building. Screening, seismic evaluations, and retrofit planning are professional services provided under a separate agreement.
Contact our team to get started.
Non-Ductile Concrete Ordinance Steps
1 – Identification and Inventory
Cities often first require the identification of non-ductile concrete buildings. Building owners may need to have their structures evaluated by engineers to determine if they fall into this category.
2 – Mandatory Retrofitting
Once identified, these buildings may be subject to mandatory seismic retrofitting. This involves reinforcing the structure to improve its ability to withstand seismic forces, which can be a costly and complex process.
3 – Compliance Timeline
Ordinances typically provide a timeline for compliance, giving building owners a set number of years to complete the required retrofitting. This timeline may vary based on the type of building, its occupancy, and its risk profile.
4 – Benefits to Early Compliance
In some cities, there’s benefits to complying early and addressing the issues before mandatory requirements take hold.
5 – Penalties for Non-Compliance
Non-compliance with these ordinances can result in fines, restrictions on building use, or even orders to vacate unsafe buildings.
Where are we today with non-ductile concrete ordinances?
Los Angeles Ordinance
In 2015, Los Angeles passed a non-ductile concrete ordinance that required around 1,500 buildings to be retrofitted. Owners were given a time-line of up to 25 years to complete the retrofit.
San Francisco Ordinance
San Francisco issued an executive directive order planning for implementation of ordinances in the next few years. It is considering similar ordinances to LA targeting non-ductile concrete buildings with efforts focusing on identifying vulnerable structures and enforcing retrofitting requirements.
These ordinances are crucial for improving public safety in earthquake-prone areas and reducing the potential for building collapses during earthquakes.
Learn more about what actions are expected of building owners in our blog:
Tailored Seismic Retrofits: Strengthening Buildings, Securing Investments
Customized Retrofit Strategies for Seismic Resilience
Every non-ductile concrete building is unique and retrofit strategies can vary based on overall building size, number of stories, and level of seismic deficiency. The best retrofit strategies are ones that are tailored to the specific need. A retrofit could be minor where only local strengthening of individual deficient components by using fiber wrapping. Other retrofit strategies include adding “ductile” concrete walls to the interior or exterior of the building to strengthen or stiffen the building. Working with us, we can determine a retrofit strategy that works for you and your budget.
Helping Building Owners Navigate Seismic Compliance with Confidence
As experienced builders and structural engineers, we can help building owners navigate the retrofit ordinance requirements and develop options to comply. We have decades of experience performing seismic evaluations and retrofits for all building types. Our engineering team is actively involved in research on Non-Ductile Concrete buildings and are involved in helping San Francisco identify initial steps.
We are experts in nonlinear analysis, which may be used to provide a more efficient and cost-effective solution than a typical analysis, helping clients develop solutions through constant interaction and open dialogue. With our experience we can help owners navigate the path to transitioning a building from a brittle non-ductile concrete one to a more seismically resilient structure.
Working with us, we can determine a retrofit strategy that works for you and your budget. Email us at nonductile@forell.com and let’s talk about your project.
