For more than 45 years, Forell | Elsesser has performed post-earthquake reconnaissance around the globe. Post-earthquake reconnaissance typically occurs after an earthquake of magnitude M7 or higher, and the information obtained is extremely valuable to our daily practice in seismic engineering. Tasks typically involved in post-EQ efforts include meeting with local government officials, engineering professionals, and people affected by the earthquakes, visiting representative areas with various building types and civil infrastructure to observe structural and non-structural performance and soil failure, coordinating with international teams across different disciplines, providing geo-tagged photos of observations to a central database, and prepare technical reports and presentations to fellow engineers and general audiences.

Forell | Elsesser has provided post-earthquake damage assessments for organizations such as the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Learning From Earthquakes Committee, Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE).  In particular, we worked closely with local public agencies such as the San Francisco Building Department, Caltrans, and San Francisco State University following the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

• 2016 Esmeraldas and Manabí, Ecuador
• 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand
• 2011 Tokyo & Sendai, Japan – 15 buildings evaluated
• 2010 Maule, Chile
• 2009 Padang, Indonesia
• 2008 Sichuan, China
• 2006 Banda Aceh, Indonesia
• 1995 Kobe, Japan – 100 + buildings evaluated
• 1994 Northridge, California
• 1989 Loma Prieta, California
• 1987 Whitter, California
• 1985 Mexico City, Mexico
• 1983 Morgan Hill, California
• 1980 El Asham, Algeria
• 1979 Mexico
• 1979 Imperial County, California
• 1971 San Fernando, California