Engineering structures to withstand earthquakes is serious business. In the last 5 years, MKA has designed more than $10 billion worth of construction located in areas of high earthquake activity, including buildings assigned to the most extreme seismic design categories of international building codes. Given our headquarters in Seattle, one of the most seismically active regions in the United States, we have assembled 90 years of data on actual versus predicted building performance when subjected to earthquake forces. By analyzing the data collected, as well as participating in extensive research and testing of seismic materials and systems, we provide award-winning designs that are highly refined and innovative, and which advance the state-of-the-art.

Seismic design technologies available at MKA include the following:

• Designs for all seismic risk categories and targeted performance levels, up to and including Immediate Occupancy, for both new and existing facilities.
• Industry-leading designs for all seismic structural system options and material types.
• Full spectrum of structural solutions for enhanced seismic performance, such as ductile concrete shear walls, buckling-restrained braces, seismic isolation, and damping.
• Performance-based seismic high-rise designs (PBSD) developed using highly detailed earthquake simulations for increased performance reliability and architectural flexibility.
• Performance-based designs for existing building renovations and expansions and for new structures requiring enhanced performance objectives.