ATC Director of Wind and Flood Hazard Mitigation returns from Tuscaloosa, AL

Bill Coulbourne, ATC Director of Wind and Flood Hazard Mitigation, deployed to Tuscaloosa, AL with a team sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and led by Dr. David Prevatt of the University of Florida. Dr. Prevatt and the other university researchers focused on the performance of wood frame buildings with the expectation to discover ways to improve wood frame buildings when impacted by tornadoes with lower wind speeds (EF0 to EF3). The team was able to investigate the failure mechanisms of approximately 150 buildings along a 6 mile long track of the tornado. The information collected will be used to determine how the building structures might be improved to allow people to stay alive in their homes during a tornadic event.

The picture below shows an apartment complex damaged with what the team believes was a tornado strengthened to an EF5 category (the most severe with wind speeds at or above 200 mph). There were several fatalities reported here. The buildings were built in 2010. This site is expected to be studied in order to learn how to build buildings that survive tornadoes weaker than EF5.

The next picture shows a residential structure damaged by tornado wind speeds equivalent to an EF4. A couple and their dog survived this severe damage by huddling in the center of the house. When the storm passed, several walls collapsed on top of them seemingly saving all three of them from severe injury as the rest of the house was demolished. While there was a below-grade cellar just behind the house, the occupants never had the chance to get into the cellar for more protection.

5/2011

Welcome to the ATC Team!

Michael Valley

As a former Principal at Magnusson Klemencic Associates in Seattle, Mike Valley comes to ATC with more than 30 years of structural engineering experience in new design, evaluation and retrofit of existing buildings, applied research, and codes and standards development. Mike’s design experience includes the landmark Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, and his research and development experience includes the FEMA 356 Prestandard and Commentary for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings, FEMA P-2012 Assessing Seismic Performance of Buildings with Configuration Irregularities (ATC-123 Project), and NIST GCR 10-917-9 Applicability of Nonlinear Multiple-Degree-of-Freedom Modeling for Design (ATC-76-6 Project).

Mike also has extensive experience as an ATC consultant serving as a reviewer, a technical contributor, and Project Director on multiple ATC projects. We look forward to how Mike’s unique experiences as a successful team member will contribute to ATC projects in the future.

Michael Mahoney

Retired from federal service as a Senior Geophysicist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mike Mahoney comes to ATC with more than 30 years of experience in hazard mitigation program management and policy development, post-disaster response and recovery, and problem-focused research and development in support of FEMA’s efforts under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). He has led FEMA’s earthquake-related work with the International Code Council and has been involved with the development of national model codes and standards since 1984.

In his career at FEMA, Mike has led the development of countless major FEMA publications, including: FEMA 350 Recommended Seismic Design Criteria for New Steel Moment-Frame Buildings and its series of companion reports (ATC-41 Project series), FEMA P-58 Seismic Performance Assessment of Buildings, Methodology and Implementation (ATC-58 Project series), FEMA P-695 Quantification of Building Seismic Performance Factors (ATC-63 Project), FEMA P-2018 Seismic Evaluation of Older Concrete Buildings for Collapse Potential (ATC-78 Project), and FEMA P-2090/NIST SP-1254 Recommended Options for Improving the Built Environment for Post-Earthquake Reoccupancy and Functional Recovery Time (ATC-137 Project). With Mike’s extensive knowledge of federal government programs, and past collaboration with state and local agencies, hazard mitigation partners, and code development organizations, we look forward to how his unique experiences will help serve ATC’s client needs and objectives in the future.