The Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC) regularly assists local jurisdictions to create safer cities with regards to buildings. This work is done through SEAOSC’s Safer Cities Advisory Program. This year, SEAOSC members have been working to support the City of Torrance with the review of the technical aspects of their seismic retrofit ordinances. Members with expertise in seismic retrofit design and analysis provided feedback and advice as they reviewed draft retrofit ordinances that included non-ductile concrete buildings, steel moment frame buildings, "soft-story" buildings, and tilt-up concrete buildings. Currently, these draft ordinances are moving forward through the city's process for consideration by the City Council for adoption.

SEAOSC is proud to have worked with the City of Torrance as it takes proactive steps to better understand the current risk to life and property of the existing built environment and then develop a process by which that risk can be reasonably and significantly reduced.