PROJECT OVERVIEW

Title: Technical Assistance and Documentation of Case Studies, FEMA Guidelines for the Design of Structures for Vertical Evacuation From Tsunamis

Client: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Status: Completed in May 2012.

Participants: To see a list of project participants, click here.

Related Projects and Reports: The final product of the ATC-79/79-1 project is an updated version of the FEMA P-646 Report, Guidelines for the Design of Structures for Vertical Evacuation From Tsunamis (published in 2008, prepared for FEMA by ATC). 

PROJECT SUMMARY

This project involved the technical review and update of the FEMA P-646 Report,Guidelines for the Design of Structures for Vertical Evacuation From Tsunamis.  Following its publication in 2008, the document was used in conceptual design studies as part of tsunami evacuation planning in Cannon Beach, Oregon and the document’s design guidance was evaluated in ongoing research related to the development of Performance-Based Tsunami Engineering conducted at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, under the National Science Foundation-sponsored George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) program.  Based on findings from these activities, FEMA initiated a follow-up project with ATC in 2009 to review the design guidance contained in FEMA P-646, and to consider updates, if needed, based on this new information.  As a result of this review, selected revisions were deemed necessary.  In March 2011, the devastating Tohoku tsunami struck Japan, providing a wealth of additional information that could be considered for inclusion in the update of the FEMA P-646 Report. 

The project was completed in May 2012, with the issuance of a Second Edition of the FEMA P-646 Report.  Technical updates contained in this Second Edition include: (1) observations and lessons learned from the March 11, 2011 Tohoku tsunami; (2) revision of the debris impact expression to remove over-conservatism deemed to be present in the prior edition; (3) additional explanation of the definition of tsunami elevation as it relates to run-up elevation used in tsunami force equations; and (4) an update of reference documents to the most current version.

The final product of this project is an updated FEMA P-646 Report, Guidelines for the Design of Structures for Vertical Evacuation From Tsunamis, Second Edition.  The FEMA P-646 report is available for free download here.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Client: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Final Product: We are pleased to announce the release of ROVER (Rapid Observation of Vulnerability and Estimation of Risk), a FEMA-sponsored smartphone application for building professionals (engineers, architects, firefighters, building officials, and others) to do rapid pre- and post-earthquake hazard evaluation of buildings. ROVER brings the advantages of smartphones to the de-facto paper-based standards for rapid pre-earthquake screening and post-earthquake safety tagging of buildings with red (unsafe), yellow (restricted use), or green (inspected) placards (i.e., FEMA 154 procedures for rapid visual screening of buildings for potential seismic hazards, and ATC-20 procedures for postearthquake safety evaluation of buildings). These procedures have been used on hundreds of thousands of buildings, beginning with ATC-20 inspections after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake near San Francisco. ROVER adds the efficiency of built-in soil and seismology geodatabases, unlimited watermarked and captioned digital photos, automatic geolocation, real-time process control, a secure web-accessible database, integration with the U. S. Geological Survey software, ShakeCast, for real-time earthquake monitoring and with HAZUS-MH (FEMA multi-hazard damage and loss estimation software) for prospective risk analysis, and other features. ROVER can inform emergency preparation, business continuity planning related to natural disaster, disaster management, and broader efforts for sustainable building. ROVER has already been successfully tested by the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Utah Seismic Safety Commission, and others. Visit www.ROVERReady.org to download the software and to view assessments by independent testers of the software. The software can also be ordered on CD from the FEMA Publications Warehouse: Call 1-800-480-2520 and ask for "FEMA P-154 ROVER CD." See details here.

ROVER was developed for FEMA by the Applied Technology Council, in collaboration with specialists form SPA Risk LLC, and Instrumental Software Technologies Inc., and a professional review panel of leading building officials, scholars, and practitioners.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Title: Methodology to Assess and Verify the Seismic Capacity of Low-Rise Buildings

Project Status: Completed

Client: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

PROJECT SUMMARY

This project seeks to conduct the first phase of a multi-phase project to eventually develop an alternative seismic design approach for low-rise construction in the United States that similarly utilizes non-linear response analysis results in a simplified displacement-based approach.  The approach would ideally incorporate a computing tool or analytical engine (similar to the tool developed for FEMA P-807) using the large amount of dynamic analysis data that has already been generated.  Rather than calculating an equivalent lateral force as prescribed in ASCE/SEI 7, such an approach would utilize the assessed nonlinear response characteristics of the building to select and size the seismic-force-resisting system.  

One challenge in implementing such an approach would be to validate it against the performance of standard code-designed buildings and demonstrate that the seismic performance intent of current U.S. model building codes and standards are met.  The FEMA P-695 report, Quantification of Building Seismic Performance Factors, provides a methodology that can be used to validate the performance equivalency of alternative design procedures.  To be generally useful and nationally applicable, an alternative design procedure would need to be verified for a variety of: (a) seismic-force-resisting systems; (b) site classes and seismic hazards; and (c) range of building configurations.  This validation effort would require the pre-determination of applicable building heights and structural system types, and a comparison of these parameters with the Canadian study parameters to determine which of the Canadian study data can be used, and what, if any, new data must be developed.

Task 1: Develop Initial Methodology for Validation on Selected Systems.  This task involves the investigation of the development of an initial methodology for simplified design of low-rise buildingsbased on the methodology developed on the Canadian project. 

Subtask 1.1 – Review Information from Related Projects

The Project Management Committee will review the work conducted on the Canadian project to understand the technical basis, and consider what adaptations would be needed for U.S. design and construction practice.  The PMC will also review work from other relevant projects including: FEMA P-807Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Weak-Story Wood-Frame Buildings, FEMA P-440A Effects of Strength and Stiffness Degradation on Seismic Response (ATC-62 Project), NIST GCR 10-917-9 Applicability of Nonlinear Multiple-Degree-of-Freedom Modeling for Design (ATC 76-6 Project), Static Pushover to Incremental Dynamic Analysis, SPO2IDA, as developed by Vamvatsikos and Cornell (2006).  Work will include the following milestones:

• Initial review of Canadian Methodology (February 8, 2012)
• Identify potential scope of consideration for U.S. practice based on the issues listed below (April 30, 2012)
  • Performance level/definition
  • Definition of low rise
  • Construction types (prototypes)
  • Damage patterns
  • Earthquake sources/regions of seismicity
  • Behavioral limitations/acceptable modes of behavior
  • New buildings with an eye toward existing buildings
  • Analytical engine
  • Modeling sophistication
  • Gravity system drift capacities
  • Torsional considerations
  • Case study analyses as required for validation of scope
• Focused review of Canadian Methodology (June 15, 2012) relative to the above (bulleted) task breakdown
  • Develop ideas for U.S. methodology
  • Review Canadian methodology for solutions
• Summarize the Canadian Methodology (June 30, 2012)
  • Identify what is applicable to U.S. practice
  • Identify necessary adaptations for U.S. practice

Subtask 1.2 – Develop Initial Methodology for Validation Studies

Based on available information, the Project Management Committee will develop an initial methodology targeted to U.S. applications and perform limited proof-of-concept studies.  In developing the initial methodology, the PMC will consider: (1) selected lateral systems that are popularly used in U.S. construction; (2) defined seismic environments and appropriate earthquake ground motion records for intended nonlinear responses analysis and performance measurement; and (3) necessary restrictions on building configuration (e.g. number of stories, height, vertical/ horizontal irregularities). 

At this time, it is envisioned that the U.S. methodology will be closely patterned after the Canadian Methodology.  It is assumed that prior design and analytical work conducted on the Canadian project will be leveraged to conduct proof-of-concept studies.  The scope and extent of studies that can be performed will depend on the degree of similarity or difference between the U.S. methodology and the Canadian Methodology and the resulting variations in construction types, seismicity, and building configurations covered.  Workwill include the following milestones:

• Confirm scope of low-rise applications in U.S. (May 31, 2012)
• Perform limited investigation of technical adaptations (July 15, 2012)
  • Choose one prototype (e.g. wood); attempt solution; identify issues
  • Investigate multistory wood systems; explore modes of behavior including structural and nonstructural elements
  • Check a FEMA P-807 building using the Canadian Analyzer
• Refine list of necessary adaptations for U.S. practice (July 31, 2012)

Task 2: Prepare Draft Outline of the Methodology.  This task involves the preparation of an early draft (20% complete) report outlining the initial methodology, including a summary of the Canadian methodology, adaptations necessary for U.S. construction practice, and recommendations for study in future phases of work.  The report will be prepared under the direction of the Project Technical Director, with assistance from selected members of the PMC.  Workwill include the following milestones:

• Development of a preliminary Outline (June 30, 2012)
• Develop future plan (scope/level of effort/schedule) for adaptation of the Canadian Methodology to develop a FEMA methodology for low-rise buildings in the U.S. (August 15, 2012)
  • Compare with current US practice (IEBC, ASCE 41)
  • Consider implementation ideas (incentives/liability/training)
  • Consider verification
• Submissionof draft report to FEMA (September 14, 2012)

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Title:  Planning and Conduct of an Earthquake Building Performance Rating System Workshop

Project Status:  Completed May 2011

Client:  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Related Projects and Reports:  The need for this workshop was the highest ranked recommendation in the NEHRP Workshop on Meeting the Challenges of Existing Buildings, which was held in San Francisco in September 2007 (ATC-71 Project)

PROJECT SUMMARY

Rating systems are common for everything from restaurants and movies to energy efficiency of appliances and “green” buildings. But when it comes to earthquake risk, building occupants and owners lack a simple, common vocabulary for decision-making, such as a rating system. An “Earthquake Rating System for Building Performance” was identified as the highest-ranked need in earthquake hazard risk reduction in a variety of recent forums, including the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Workshop on Meeting the Challenges of Existing Buildings, which was conducted in September 2007 in San Francisco by the Applied Technology Council (ATC) and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, with funding from the Federal Emergency Agency (FEMA) and other National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) federal agencies.

The Earthquake Building Performance Rating System Workshop was conducted to gather input on potentially developing and implementing a new system for rating the earthquake performance of existing buildings. Prior to the Workshop, ATC organized a web-based Discussion Forum to enable Workshop participants and other interested stakeholders to openly discuss the relevance and usability of such a system. Both the Discussion Forum and the Workshop were intended to enable stakeholders to express their views on the desirability of developing and implementing an Earthquake Rating System for Building Performance. Topics addressed at the Workshop included (1) the extent to which such a rating system would encourage and promote building seismic evaluation and rehabilitation, (2) technical difficulties and related consistency issues, (3) advantages and disadvantages of such a system, (4) potential socio-economic impediments, and (5) other stakeholder concerns and needs.  Following the Workshop, ATC issued the ATC-71-2 Workshop Proceedings, which summarize the presentations, discussions and findings of the Workshop, and provides a roadmap on the steps necessary to develop a rigorous but practical building rating system.

Workshop attendees included a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives from the insurance, financial, and real estate industries, social scientists, risk managers, building owners and regulators, earthquake engineering professionals, and key specialists involved in other building and construction rating programs.

FEMA P-50 REFERENCE MATERIALS

The FEMA P-50 report, Simplified Seismic Assessment of Detached, Single-Family, Wood-Frame Dwellings, uses the Simplified Seismic Assessment Form.

The FEMA P-50-1 report, Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for Detached, Single-Family, Wood-Frame Dwellings, is another available resource.

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.

For more information about the FEMA P-50 report, click here.