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After years of conducting seismic renovations for warehouses and schools in Portland, architect and developer Ben Kaiser reached a conclusion: There must be a better method.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen the result of these upgrades and how difficult it is for building owners to implement these (seismic) requirements,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 got to be a more wise way with limited resources.鈥�

Seismic renovations have increasingly become a focal point within Portland鈥檚 built environment. According to city code, a building鈥檚 use cannot change until seismic requirements are met. And as the city鈥檚 infrastructure grows older and the threat of a large earthquake looms, a big push is being made to devote more money to seismic upgrades.

However, such projects can require a lot of time and money. So, Kaiser and KPFF Consulting Engineers developed a new way to seismically reinforce buildings: steel 鈥渟anctuaries鈥� that are installed through buildings鈥� roofs.

The CoreFirst system can cost up to 20 percent less than a standard full seismic upgrade and, in some cases, increase occupant safety more than a full upgrade can, according to Kaiser.

鈥淭he Oregon public school system is strapped by no money, but has a requirement to upgrade its schools,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll we鈥檙e doing is creating confusion and feeling guilty. Let鈥檚 change that and add mobility to a static system.鈥�

The engineering behind the system is basic.

Most buildings have three basic features: diaphragms 鈥� the floors and roofs; drag struts 鈥� beams that line the diaphragms; and lateral support 鈥� horizontal props applied to walls. During an earthquake, energy is collected in the diaphragms and then driven down through the struts and lateral support into the ground.

CoreFirst involves creating multi-story, occupiable lateral support features. In other words, building occupants would stand within the support system.

Each floor of a building would have multiple sanctuaries. In a school, for example, one would be installed next to each classroom doorway, Kaiser said.

The features would be hardly visible 鈥� only additional steel beams on the walls would differentiate them.

鈥淚n the interim, as we as a society are waiting for the funding to complete these upgrades, you have a safe school 鈥� a guaranteed safe area for kids and teachers to collect,鈥� Kaiser said.

CoreFirst also involves installation of a notification system featuring seismographs to warn building occupants of an imminent earthquake. Monitors would be placed on either side of the building and audibly announce any significant seismic activity so that occupants could reach safety spots.

Kaiser came up with the idea for the system after his company, Kaiser Group Inc., conducted a full seismic upgrade for a Southwest Portland school a few years ago. The upgrade, he said, cost over a million dollars and significantly burdened the school with debt.

However, despite Kaiser鈥檚 promotion of CoreFirst, it has not been installed on any buildings. Portland Public Schools declined to test it.

鈥淲e鈥檙e choosing to go with proven technologies,鈥� Portland Public Schools spokesman Matt Shelby said. 鈥淔or something as important as seismic safety, we have a responsibility 鈥� and we鈥檙e not willing to be the first adopters of something like that.鈥�

Shelby said that the system would oppose PPS鈥� emergency protocol because it would encourage people to run to the sanctuaries rather than out of buildings.

鈥淚t鈥檚 quite a bit different than what we have done up to this point,鈥� he said. 鈥淚ts usage runs fairly contrary to everything that we have trained our staff and students to do.鈥�

That鈥檚 not its intended use, however, Kaiser said; occupants would be encouraged to wait in the sanctuaries until conditions are safe and then exit the building.

Kaiser does not believe CoreFirst should replace a full seismic upgrade. In fact, the sanctuaries are designed so that a full upgrade can tie in easily (new diaphragms can be driven into them), he said.

Because the system can be installed through the roof and does not require any demolition, it can cost significantly less. Also, Kaiser believes CoreFirst makes occupants safer by providing multiple heavily reinforced areas.

If it were to gain wide acceptance, CoreFirst could apply to all types of buildings.

鈥淎 lot of buildings in downtown are sitting vacant because these costs of upgrades just stop the profit,鈥� Kaiser said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e devoting money to something that may happen in 10 seconds or 10,000 years. The question is: How do we be wise with those dollars when none of us know?鈥�

Kaiser is waiting for a patent for the system. He is talking to officials at the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in an effort to gain recognition for the brand. He is hoping that the approval of health and safety experts will convince building owners to test the system.