Handbook For The Seismic Evaluation Of Existing Buildings

Provides engineers involved with the seismic evaluation of existing buildings with guidance concerning the potential earthquake related risk to human life posed by a building or building component.

Provides a process for seismic evaluation of existing buildings in any region of seismicity. Buildings are evaluated to either the Life Safety or Immediate Occupancy Performance Level. Provides instruction to the evaluating design professional on how to determine if a building is adequately designed and constructed to resist seismic forces. All aspects of building performances are considered in terms of foundation/geologic, structural, hazard, nonstructural issues. Reflects advancements in technology; incorporates design professional experience; incorporates lessons learned during recent earthquakes; and much more.

Provides design professionals & local building officials with a standard methodology to evaluate buildings of different types & occupancies in areas of different seismicity throughout the U.S.

This publication on seismic strengthening of existing buildings is one of a series that FEMA is sponsoring to encourage local decision makers, design professionals, and other interested groups to undertake a program of mitigating the risks posed by existing hazardous buildings in the event of an earthquake. Publications in this series are being prepared under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and examine both the engineering/architectural aspects and societal impacts of seismic rehabilitation. FEMA's existing buildings activities are structured to result in a coherent, cohesive, carefully selected and planned reinforcing set of documents designed for national applicability. The resulting publications (descriptive reports, handbooks, and supporting documentation) provide guidance primarily to local elected and appointed officials and design professionals on how to deal not only with earthquake engineering problems but also with the public policy issues and societal dislocations associated with major seismic events. This handbook of techniques for solving a variety of seismic rehabilitation problems and its companion publication on the seismic evaluation of existing buildings reflect basic input provided by two organizations recognized for their retrofit evaluation and design experience as well as the results of a consensus development activity carried out by the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC). The preliminary version of this document, the NEHRP Handbook of Techniques for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings, was developed for FEMA by URS/John A. Blume and Associates, Engineers (URS/Blume). A companion volume, the NEHRP Handbook for the Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings, for which a preliminary version was developed for FEMA by the Applied Technology Council (ATC), provides a method for evaluating existing buildings to identify those that are likely to be seismically hazardous. The BSSC project, initiated at the request of FEMA in October 1988, has focused on identification and resolution of technical issues in and appropriate revision of the two handbooks by a 22-member Retrofit of Existing Buildings (REB) Committee composed of individuals possessing expertise in the various subjects needed to address seismic rehabilitation.

The Handbook on Seismic Retrofit of Buildings is a compiled source of technical information for engineers and professionals in the buildings industry, decision making officials and students. The Handbook is divided into 17 chapters, covering - basic concepts of earthquakes, seismic design and retrofit of buildings, seismic vulnerability assessment, retrofit strategies for different types of buildings, geotechnical and foundation aspects, advanced applications, quality assurance and case studies.

The Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) handbook can be used by trained personnel to identify, inventory, and screen buildings that are potentially seismically vulnerable. The RVS procedure comprises a method and several forms that help users to quickly identify, inventory, and score buildings according to their risk of collapse if hit by major earthquakes. The RVS handbook describes how to identify the structural type and key weakness characteristics, how to complete the screening forms, and how to manage a successful RVS program.