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Buildings
are the
most
commonly
damaged
public
facility
in an
earthquake.
This
section
describes
a
procedure
for making
an initial
broad
comparative
determination
of the
risks with
buildings
of
different
types and
sizes, and
then
describes
different
mitigation
measures
that can
be
considered
for
improving
safety and
reducing
the likely
damage in
earthquakes.
A
building's
repair and
upgrade
needs are
dependent
upon
numerous
factors
such as
the
underlying
soil
conditions,
structural
type,
architectural
design,
and
contents.
Determining
the most
appropriate
measures
for a
building
commonly
requires
an
engineer
trained in
earthquake
design
with
experience
with the
type of
original
construction
involved.
It
is
important
to
understand
that the
appropriate
seismic
upgrading
for a
building
should be
selected
by a
qualified
engineer.
Measures
included
in this
Handbook
are
generalized
for
purposes
of
suggesting
mitigation
ideas to
communities,
to
individual
owners and
managers,
and to the
general
public for
the
purpose of
developing
and
advancing
mitigation
plans, but
it is
important
that
actual
chosen
mitigation
schemes
for
specific
buildings
be
reviewed
by
qualified
architects
and
engineers.
In fact, a
poorly
conceived
and
incomplete
"upgrade"
for a
building
may end up
being more
dangerous
than
nothing at
all
because of
the
complex
interaction
of
earthquake
forces on
structural
components
of
differing
ductility,
strength
and
stiffness.
SOURCES
FOR THIS
HANDBOOK
The
original
Region X
version of
this
Handbook
presented
the series
of seismic
upgrade
measures
organized
in groups
of related
structural
elements.
In
assembling
the
material
for this
web-based
version of
the
Handbook,
FEMA has
determined
that the
material
can be
improved
by adding
information
from
FEMA's
extensive
and
well-respected
technical
publications
to help
users in
the
preliminary
assessments
necessary
in making
the
determination
where the
seismic
upgrade
work will
be most
effective.
The
publications
used form
a group
referred
to as the FEMA
Existing
Building
Series.
(For a
more
detailed
description
of this
series, CLICK
HERE.)
This is
intended
to help
evaluate
relative
risks both
for single
buildings,
or for
entire
communities.
The
materials
used in
this
Handbook
are drawn
from the
following
publications:
-
FEMA
154:
Rapid
Visual
Screening
of
Buildings
for
Potential
Seismic
Hazards:
A
Handbook,
(ATC-21)
prepared
by
the
Applied
Technology
Council:
Christopher
Rojahn
and
Chris
Poland,
Principal
Investigators,
Charles
Scawthorn,
Principal
subcontractor,
1988
&
updated
2002
(in
press).
-
FEMA
310:
Handbook
for
the
Seismic
Evaluation
of
Buildings
-
A
Prestandard,
prepared
by
the
American
Society
of
Civil
Engineers
(ASCE),
Melvin
Green,
Principal
Invetigator,
1998.
-
FEMA
356:
Prestandard
and
Commentary
for
the
Seismic
Rehabilitation
of
Buildings,
prepared
by
the
American
Society
of
Civil
Engineers
(ASCE),
Chris
Poland,
Principal
Investigator,
2000.
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