Soft Story

Plain Definition: A level in a building that is significantly weaker or more flexible than the stories above it.

Technical Description: Commonly occurs when an open ground floor (e.g. parking) lacks sufficient lateral stiffness compared to upper levels.

Use in Design: Requires special attention in design and retrofitting due to high collapse risk in earthquakes.

Meta Title: Soft Story Weakness in Seismic Design | Structural Glossary

Meta Description: Understand the soft story condition and why it's a major concern in earthquake engineering.