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.

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..

The Applied Technology Council (ATC) and the Japan Structural Consultants Association (JSCA) are pleased to announce the Ninth U.S.-Japan Workshop on Improvement of Structural Design and Construction Practices, to be held August 21-23, 2000, at the Laurel Point Inn in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Prior workshops in this series sponsored jointly by ATC and JSCA, have been held in Honolulu (1998, 1984), Kobe (1996), Victoria (1994), San Diego (1992), Kailua-Kona (1990), Tokyo (1988), and San Francisco (1986). The workshops have provided unique opportunities for leading engineers from the two countries to discuss state-of-the-art structural engineering issues in both formal and informal surroundings.

The 9th U.S.-Japan Workshop will be held following the Annual Convention of the Structural Engineers Association of California in Vancouver, British Columbia, August 16-20, 2000. The program for the 9th Workshop includes technical presentations by structural and earthquake engineering design practitioners and researchers from Japan, Canada, and the United States, as well as working group discussions and several social functions. The Workshop program (see second page of the Workshop Brochure) is expected to include papers on the following topics:

• Performance-Based Engineering, including case studies pertaining to new and existing construction
• Near-Field Earthquake Ground Motion
• Innovative Concepts and Techniques for Improving Seismic Performance
• Current Design Challenges and Opportunities
• Issues in Professional Design Practice

Deadline for Paper Submittal. . Selected authors will be notified by July 1, 2000. Final papers (12 pages in length, maximum) will be due August 1, 2000.

Workshop Registration. Persons interested in participating in the Workshop (presenting a paper or not) may do so by completing and submitting the Workshop Registration Form, which can be obtained from ATC (Phone, 650/595-1542), or downloaded from ATC's web site (www.atcouncil.org). As in the past, ATC and JSCA are organizing this workshop on a self-funded basis (i.e., without external funding). Accordingly, all participants will be required to pay their own travel and hotel expenses and the Workshop registration fee (approximately $200), which includes workshop luncheons, break refreshments, and workshop preprints.

Hotel Reservations. A block of overnight rooms is being held at the Laurel Point Inn at the rate of Canadian$145 (US$98 at the current exchange rate) for a standard room, and Canadian$200 dollars (US$135) for a suite. For room reservations, contact the Laurel Point Hotel directly (1-800-663-7667) and reference Applied Technology Council. A reservation form can also be downloaded from ATC's web site (www.atcouncil.org) and faxed to the hotel.

The Applied Technology Council (ATC) is pleased to announce the scheduling of the 2nd ATC-35 Workshop on National Earthquake Ground-Motion Mapping for Thursday and Friday, May 10-11, 2001, in San Francisco at the Radisson Miyako Hotel. The Workshop is being convened by ATC and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Like the first ATC-35 National Earthquake Ground Motion Mapping Workshop held in Los Angeles in 1995, this Workshop will provide input from the structural engineering, geosciences, and geotechnical engineering professions to the USGS on several key issues that affect the preparation and use of the second round of national earthquake ground-motion maps. The Workshop will also provide input for USGS on new map-related products desired by map users.

The following topics will be the focus of the Workshop:

• Scientific Issues: Near-fault directivity effects; time-dependent earthquake probabilities; ground motion attenuation relationships; uncertainty.
• Issues for Design Maps: Frequency of updating maps; degree of detail in maps; deterministic bounds; role of USGS.
• Map Products and New Directions: Current and planned map products; new directions in mapping.

In addition, Workshop participants will have the opportunity to review and provide input to the USGS on preliminary plans for changes to seismic source models in locations such as the Pacific Northwest and the New Madrid seismic zone.

The Workshop is open to the profession at large, though space and participation may be limited. The Registration Form may be downloaded here as a PDF file. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Workshop registration fee is $150 ($120 for ATC subscribers) and includes the cost of workshop handouts, luncheons, and refreshments. A late fee of $25 will be imposed on registrations postmarked after May 1, 2001. Persons wishing to participate in the Workshop should download and send in the registration form or contact 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..