Hospital El Carmen de Maipú

Chile needed state-of-the art seismic joint solutions for their hospitals due to the numerous seismic events each year. On average, 206 earthquakes rattle Santiago, Chile each year—some more destructive than others.

During the design phase of this project, MM Systems created a fully functioning mockup to demonstrate our seismic capabilities to the Client and the Chilean government officials responsible for approvals. This created a working relationship dedicated to providing engineering and seismic support to develop a Tailored
Technology Solution™.

One of our primary tailored solutions for this project was MM’s Seismic Egress Portal (SEP). During seismic events, interior joints in structures experience movement in multiple directions. Our SEPs use a continuous low-friction structural slide bearing to compensate for that movement without altering the integrity of the building. When the movement stops, the portal will return to its nominal position. Occupants don’t notice the SEP during non-seismic use because it blends inconspicuously into the structure’s egress corridors.