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NEWS RELEASE
August 21, 2015

For more information, contact
Technical Information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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The Applied Technology Council (ATC), in cooperation with the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), is seeking proposals from Southern California engineering firms to conduct trial evaluations of older concrete frame structures using the methodology described in the ATC-78-3 Report, Seismic Evaluation of Older Concrete Frame Buildings for Collapse Potential (ATC, 2015), which was developed with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Trial evaluations are being sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety to determine if the ATC-78-3 evaluation methodology could be used as part of a program to mitigate the risk of older concrete buildings in Los Angeles.

A complete description of the scope of services to be performed, required qualifications, submittal requirements, subcontract terms, selection criteria, selection process, and schedule are provided in the Request for Proposals (LADBS), available on the ATC website (www.atcouncil.org). The report can be downloaded from the ATC website here. The closing date for the submission of proposals is September 25, 2015.

The methodology described in the ATC-78-3 report is under ongoing development, and expansion of the methodology to address concrete wall systems is currently underway. This solicitation is the first in a series of planned trial evaluation programs intended to inform future versions of the methodology. The following additional solicitations can be expected:

A similar FEMA-funded RFP, to be announced in the next few weeks, that will solicit the involvement of engineers to evaluate the ATC-78-3 methodology for concrete frame buildings located in regions of moderate or high seismicity throughout the United States.
A future LADBS-funded RFP, to be announced approximately one year from now, that will solicit the involvement of Southern California engineers to conduct a trial evaluation of the methodology for concrete wall buildings located in California.

Response and/or participation in one Trial Evaluation Program will not preclude response and/or participation in future programs.

More information about the ATC-78 Project Series is available here.

In response to the magnitude-7.6 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal, the Applied Technology Council will be providing a 120-minute recorded webinar on the Second Edition of the ATC-20-1 Field Manual: Postearthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings, for free viewing (for a limited time).

The purpose of the webinar is to provide an overview of the basic postearthquake safety evaluation procedures to those who are interested in responding to the earthquake in Nepal. Please note that in order to use the procedures in Nepal, the evaluator will need more comprehensive training, as well as an in-depth understanding of the local construction methods. Accordingly, would-be evaluators should contact engineering organizations in Nepal, such as National Society for Earthquake Technology - Nepal (NSET), for further information and training. The Seismic Vulnerabilities Guideline for Private and Public Buildings - Part II: Post Disaster Damage Assessment document, developed by NSET based on the ATC-20 Methodology, is available here.

Professional development hour (PDH) credits or certifications will not be presented to viewers of this webinar. A 5-hour long in-person comprehensive training course is available on-demand from ATC and is better suited for training postearthquake safety evaluators. You may learn more about this option here.

The webinar is based on the ATC-20-1 Field Manual that was developed for the building inventory typical to the United States. The scope of the procedures are for buildings only and do not cover other structures, such as bridges and dams. The evaluation forms and posting placards contained within the document can be downloaded for free from here. A copy of the ATC-20-1 Field Manual is highly recommended for reference. A printed copy of the ATC-20-1 Field Manual can be obtained here. An electronic version of the ATC-20-1 Field Manual is not available.

The Applied Technology Council first published the ATC-20, Postearthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings, report in 1989 (under a contract from the California Office of Emergency Services and the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development) to document procedures and guidelines for the safety evaluation of damaged buildings. The document was written specifically for use by volunteer structural engineers, and for building inspectors and structural engineers from city building departments and other regulatory agencies, who would be required to make on-the-spot evaluations and decisions regarding continued use and occupancy of damaged buildings. Two weeks after the completion of the ATC-20 report, the magnitude-6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area in California and caused casualties and significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. Immediately following the earthquake, the ATC-20 methodology was used. Since 1989, a family of ATC-20 documents has been developed; and this second edition of the Field Manual (ATC-20-1) provides the ATC-20 methodology in a concise, easy-to-use field reference document that trained professionals can take into damaged areas.

In January 2015, ATC completed the development of ATC-20-1 Field Manual Bhutan Edition, which is an adaptation accounting for Bhutan’s vernacular buildings, as well as Bhutan’s cultural and governmental context. This work was developed through a partnership of ATC, GeoHazards International (GHI), and the Royal Government of Bhutan’s Department of Engineering Services (DES) and Department of Disaster Management (DDM), with support from the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the Applied Technology Council Endowment Fund. You can read more about the ATC-20-1 Field Manual Bhutan Edition here.

Free Webinar on FEMA P-807, Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of
Multi-Unit Wood-Frame Buildings With Weak First Stories

Wednesday, March 2, 2016
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Pacific
Registration Fee: Free
1,000 registrations (sites) maximum

To register, click here.

Purpose. The purpose of the webinar is to provide an overview of FEMA P-807, Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Multi-Unit Wood-Frame Buildings with Weak First Stories, developed by the Applied Technology Council for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2012. These guidelines provide cost-effective retrofit procedures for a vulnerable class of buildings with a history of poor performance in earthquakes. These buildings typically have weak ground stories with few walls, required to accommodate parking or commercial uses. The upper structure, with numerous walls, tends to be strong, but brittle. This relative weakness concentrates damage and deformations in the ground story. These structures are prevalent in the seismically active regions of the Pacific Northwest and California. The guidelines have been developed to be easy to use while providing a practicable and cost-effective means to reduce damage and the risk of collapse. Sophisticated and extensive nonlinear response history analyses form the technical basis of the guidelines; however, the procedure itself is straightforward and prescriptive.

Intended Audience. This webinar on FEMA P-807 has been designed for building officials, engineers, architects and others who need information on seismic retrofit of weak-story, wood-framed buildings.

Webinar Presenters.‎ David Mar‎ is the President of Mar Structural Design. His work emphasizes innovation in the areas of high-performance seismic design and sustainable design. His practice synthesizes creative engineering, rigorous analysis and research. David has worked with ATC on multiple projects: serving as the Project Technical Director of the ATC-71-1 Project, which produced the FEMA P-807 report, Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Multi-Unit Wood-Frame Buildings With Weak First Stories, serving on the Project Management Committees of the ATC-98 and ATC-99 Projects which discuss the use of high-strength reinforcement in earthquake-resistant concrete structures, and serving on the Steering Committee of the ATC-58 Project involving the methodology and implementation of seismic performance assessment of buildings. He has many years of experience and graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a BS and MS in Structural Engineering.

Mike Korolyk is a principal at Tipping Structural Engineers. He has made substantial contributions to the firm's practice of engineering, weaving dynamic creativity, design aptitude, and the ability to effectively organize information with his masterful understanding of performance-based seismic design, analysis, and computer programming. His analytic strategies and tools have driven much of Tipping’s success in the last ten years. Mike was the primary force behind the analytic framework and execution of FEMA P-807, Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Multi-Unit Wood-Frame Buildings with Weak First Stories. Furthermore, Mike conceptualized and developed the Weak-Story Tool, the software program accompanying the report. Mike earned his BS in Civil Engineering and his MS in Structural Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

Professional Development Hours (PDHs). Each participant of the FEMA P-807 webinar will receive an electronic certificate documenting 1.5 PDHs. Each additional participant sharing the registrant’s computer may obtain PDH documentation using a form that will be provided as one of the handouts.

Webinar Handouts. The following webinar handouts are available for immediate download:

FEMA P-807 report, Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Multi-Unit Wood-Frame Buildings with Weak First Stories (in PDF format)
U.S. participants may request hard copies of the report from the FEMA warehouse free of charge by calling 1-800-480-2520. Expedited and international orders may be made through the ATC Online Store by clicking here.
Webinar PowerPoint Presentation (in PDF format)
Form to request a certificate documenting Professional Development Hours for additional participants at your site.
[Note: there is no need to complete this form for the person registered.]

For FEMA P-807 product support, and to download the latest version of the Weak Story Tool, click here.

Registration Information. The webinar is free to all who register, and limited to 1,000 registrations. To register, click here.

About *NETAP. This Webinar is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Earthquake Technical Assistance Program (NETAP), which is a mechanism for delivering direct assistance to the public to increase their knowledge and ability to analyze their risk, make a plan, and take actions aimed at reducing their earthquake risk and supporting overall community resilience. NETAP is not a grant or cooperative agreement program, but a contract managed by FEMA to rapidly deploy training and technical assistance to organizations and communities. For more information about NETAP please visit the FEMA website by clicking here.

2016 ATC Webinar Program. The 2016 ATC Webinar Program is under development. To view upcoming scheduled and tentative webinars being planned, please click here.

Free Webinar on FEMA P-50 and FEMA P-50-1, Simplified Seismic Assessment
and Retrofit Guidelines for Detached, Single-Family, Wood-Frame Dwellings

Wednesday, March 23, 2016
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Pacific
Registration Fee: Free
1,000 registrations (sites) maximum

To register, click here.

Purpose. The purpose of this webinar is to summarize the FEMA P-50 report, Simplified Seismic Assessment of Detached, Single-Family Wood-Frame Dwellings, and to give a brief introduction to the companion report, FEMA P-50-1, Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for Detached, Single-Family, Wood-Frame Dwellings. The FEMA P-50 and FEMA P-50-1 reports (both published in 2012) are updated and nationally expanded versions of the simplified assessment methodology and retrofit guidelines for detached, single-family, wood-frame dwellings that were originally developed under the ATC-50 and ATC-50-1 projects for use in the City of Los Angeles following the Northridge earthquake (first published in 2002). The FEMA P-50 simplified assessment methodology uses a six-page form to assign each dwelling a structural score based on observed dwelling characteristics, a seismic hazard score based on dwelling location and site hazards, and a resulting Seismic Performance Grade between A and D-. The methodology goes on to identify retrofit options for assessed items and the corresponding improved Seismic Performance Grade should that retrofit be implemented. The FEMA P-50-1 report provides details on the retrofit of the dwelling’s seismic deficiencies.

Intended Audience. The intended audience for this webinar includes building owners, building officials, home inspectors, design professionals, home builders, emergency planners, insurers, lenders, and any other persons involved in implementing or using results from the FEMA P-50 simplified seismic assessment methodology.

Webinar Presenter:‎ Kelly Cobeen, S.E. is an Associate Principal with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. in the San Francisco area. She has 30 years of experience working on a wide range of projects involving new and existing buildings, and has had significant involvement in the development of building and residential codes and standards. She was a member of the Project Technical Committee for development of FEMA P-50 and a member of the Project Review Panel for the development of FEMA P-50-1.

Professional Development Hours (PDHs). Each participant of this webinar will receive a certificate in PDF format documenting 1.5 PDHs. Each additional participant sharing the registrant’s computer may request PDH documentation using a form that will be provided as one of the webinar handouts.

Registration Information. The webinar is funded by the National Earthquake Technical Assistance Program (NETAP*) and is limited to 1,000 registrations. To register, click here.

NOTE: Attending this webinar is not equivalent to attending a FEMA P-50 and FEMA P-50-1 in-person training, which is typically a 6 hour session. In-person trainings on FEMA P-50 and FEMA P-50-1 are available through NETAP.

About *NETAP. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed NETAP as a mechanism for delivering direct assistance to the public through State, local, or tribal government entities, to increase their knowledge and ability to analyze their risk, make a plan, and take actions aimed at reducing their earthquake risk and supporting overall community resilience.

2016 ATC Webinar Program. The 2016 ATC Webinar Program is under development. To view upcoming scheduled and tentative webinars being planned, please click here.

Webinar Handouts. The following webinar handouts are available for immediate download:

FEMA P-50 report, Simplified Seismic Assessment of Detached, Single-Family, Wood-Frame Dwellings (in PDF format).
FEMA P-50-1 report, Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for Detached, Single-Family, Wood-Frame Dwellings (in PDF format).
Webinar PowerPoint Presentation (in PDF format).
Form to request a certificate documenting Professional Development Hours for additional participants at your site. pdf
(18 KB) [Note: there is no need to complete this form for the person registered.]
When completing the Simplified Seismic Assessment Form, available resources to determine site liquefaction potential/susceptibility are listed here.
To determine site landslide potential/susceptibility, available resources are listed here.

Participants may request hard copies of the reports from the FEMA warehouse, free of charge, by calling 1-800-480-2520. Expedited may be made through the ATC Online Store by clicking here.

NEWS RELEASE
February 7, 2001

For More Information, Contact:
650/595-1542
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At the annual Organizational Board meeting on January 20, 2001, the Applied Technology Council (ATC) Board of Directors elected officers for the Year 2001. Mr. Andrew (Andy) Merovich of A. T. Merovich & Associates, San Rafael, California, was elected President. During his five years on the Board, Andy has served as Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President, and on numerous ATC Board Committees. Succeeding Andy as Vice President is Mr. James Cagley of Cagley & Associates, Rockville, Maryland. Mr. Steve Pelham of Barrish, Pelham & Partners, Sacramento, California, was elected Secretary-Treasurer for a second term.

Board Meeting dates and places were set as follows:

April 28, 2001: Atlanta, Georgia (with visits to Georgia Tech laboratories and reception for local engineers and faculty)
July 28, 2001: Seattle, Washington (with possible visit to local structural engineering laboratories and reception for local engineers and faculty)
October 20, 2001: Sacramento, California (with breakfast meeting for California State agency representatives)
Jan 19, 2002 (tentative date): San Francisco, California (Annual and Organizational Meetings)

For more information, contact Gerald Brady at the Applied Technology Council, 555 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite 550, Redwood City, California 94065; Phone, 650/595-1542; Fax, 650/593-2320; e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ATC at 50

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