Emerald Steel specializes in structural and ornamental steel projects for residential and commercial buildings. We have a long list of repeat clients. A big reason that new clients come to us is our reputation—we not only exceed expectations, but we also consistently get the job done on time and on budget.
Seismic Retrofits
Residential and commercial retrofits are a large percentage of our business. Emerald Steel specializes in complicated projects and has the resources and expertise handle any project. No job is too specialized, too large, or too small.
Retrofit projects fall into three areas:
- Soft story
This is the most common type of seismic retrofitting project in the Bay Area. Weak wood frames are often seen in multifamily dwellings, as well as buildings with tuck-under parking. A common solution for soft-story retrofitting is to install steel special moment frames or cantilevered columns. - Non-ductile concrete
This type of construction was frequently used in buildings built prior to 1978. While designed to include reinforced concrete, frequently they don’t feature enough steel to handle a major seismic event. These projects often best retrofitted with steel beam installations. - Unreinforced masonry (URM)
Frequently seen in older, historic buildings, this type of construction is often just brick and mortar. It features no metal or steel reinforcements at all. To retrofit these projects, it’s common to drill through bricks vertically, thread steel through the hole, and then secure the hole with poured concrete.
Design-Build
Emerald Steel works on numerous Design-Build projects across the Bay Area, from providing modest guidance on smaller projects to building large-scale custom homes and commercial projects from the ground up.
Typically, our Design-Build projects are high-end, custom, single-family homes. Built with steel and glass and averaging 10,000 – 20,000 square feet, Emerald Steel’s Bay Area homes are distinguished by our imaginative combination of ingenuity and high-quality craftsmanship.
Miscellaneous Steel
Emerald Steel’s highly skilled and creative team has worked on the design, fabrication, and installation of numerous custom metal stairs and railings for both new construction and historic building renovation. We are experts in the constraints and restrictions of architectural staircases. We will work with you to uphold highest standards of quality, safety, and design to ensure projects are in code compliance.
We also work on a wide range of ornamental and commercial steel projects, including: