Building Science Resource Library
The Building Science Resource Library contains all of FEMA’s hazard-specific guidance that focuses on creating hazard-resistant communities.
You can search for a document by its title, or filter the collection to browse by:
- Topic: High winds, flood, earthquake, etc.
- Document Type: Brochure, report, fact sheet, infographic, etc.
- Audience: Building professionals & engineers, individuals & homeowners, teachers & kids, etc.
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Simplification of seismic design provisions for buildings is desirable for anyone who uses the seismic provisions of the building code, including structural engineers and local building officials. This goal has been explored in various ways over decades through efforts supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of its responsibilities under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) through the FEMA-funded NEHRP Provisions Update Committee as well as through other code development organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers/Structural Engineering Institute (ASCE/SEI) 7 Seismic Subcommittee, as summarized in the Appendix of this document.
This Guide provides up-to-date, authoritative information and guidance that schools can use to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing natural hazards. It is intended to be used by administrators, facilities managers, emergency managers, emergency planning committees, and teachers and staff at K through 12 schools. It can also be valuable for state officials, district administrators, school boards, teacher union leaders, and others that play a role in providing safe and disaster-resistant schools for all. Parents, caregivers, and students can also use this Guide to learn about ways to advocate for safe schools in their communities.
Recent earthquakes remind us that we live on a restless planet. But there are many important things we can do before, during, and after an earthquake to protect ourselves, our homes, and our families.
Policies and practices associated with minimization of earthquake impacts in the United States have been shaped by knowledge of the earthquake hazard, which focuses on the location and type of faulting and ground failure, and the distribution of strong ground motion or shaking.
While hazard maps contribute to understanding earthquakes, there is increasing recognition among policy makers, researchers and practitioners of the need to analyze and map the earthquake risk in the United States. As urban development continues in earthquake-prone regions there is growing concern about the exposure of buildings, lifelines (e.g., utilities and transportation systems), and people to the potential effects of destructive earthquakes.
Earthquake risk analysis begins with hazard identification, but goes beyond that to investigate the potential consequences to people and property, including buildings, lifelines, and the environment.
This PDF contains download options for the Earthquake School Hazard Hunt Video Game for Mac or PC, plus the informational poster.
The game engages young children to learn about earthquake hazard mitigation. Presented in the form of a school hazard hunt, players will be transported into an animated school in which they will be asked to choose a character, pick their desired room, and identify hazard within the room for tickets. Due to the target audience’s age group, the players will be asked to identify the hazard and then identify which tools can be used to mitigate the hazard. By being shown how to mitigate hazards visually, it is believed that they are more likely to retain the information and understand complicated concepts. If engaged properly, students will learn tips and tricks about how to prepare for an earthquake while at school. The goal is to show children that if properly prepared, damages caused by earthquakes can be lessened or avoided.
The 2015 NEHRP Provisions marks the ninth edition of this technical resource document since its first publication in 1985. FEMA is proud to sponsor this cycle of the NEHRP Provisions update, and to publish the new edition for use by national codes and standards organizations and the general public. The 2015 NEHRP Provisions are a new knowledge-based resource document intended to translate research results into engineering design practice. The new changes in the 2015 NEHRP Provisions have incorporated extensive results and findings from recent research projects, problem-focused studies, and post-earthquake investigation reports conducted by various professional organizations, research institutes, universities, material industries, and the NEHRP agencies. Similar to the previous edition, the 2015 NEHRP Provisions have adopted by reference the American Structural Engineers Association (ASCE) / Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) standard ASCE/SEI 7-10: Minimum Design Loads for New Buildings and Other Structures as the baseline.
These flow charts are part of the design examples. FEMA P-1051 CD is available for order from the FEMA Distribution Center, 1-800-480-2520.
There is an often-repeated saying, “Earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do.” Although you can’t control the seismic hazard in the community where you live or work, you can influence the most important factor in saving lives and reducing losses from an earthquake: the adoption and enforcement of up-to-date building codes. Evaluating older buildings and retrofitting structural and non-structural components also are critical steps. To survive and remain resilient, communities should also strengthen their core infrastructure and critical facilities so that these can withstand an earthquake or other disaster and continue to provide essential services.
The 2015 NEHRP Provisions marks the ninth edition of this technical resource document since its first publication in 1985. FEMA is proud to sponsor this cycle of the NEHRP Provisions update, and to publish the new edition for use by national codes and standards organizations and the general public. The 2015 NEHRP Provisions are a new knowledge-based resource document intended to translate research results into engineering design practice. The new changes in the 2015 NEHRP Provisions have incorporated extensive results and findings from recent research projects, problem-focused studies, and post-earthquake investigation reports conducted by various professional organizations, research institutes, universities, material industries, and the NEHRP agencies. Similar to the previous edition, the 2015 NEHRP Provisions have adopted by reference the American Structural Engineers Association (ASCE) / Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) standard ASCE/SEI 7-10: Minimum Design Loads for New Buildings and Other Structures as the baseline.
These updated training and instructional materials supplement the design examples. FEMA P-1052 Part 3 includes Chapters 7-12. FEMA P-1052 CD is available for order from the FEMA Distribution Center, 1-800-480-2520.
The 2015 NEHRP Provisions marks the ninth edition of this technical resource document since its first publication in 1985. FEMA is proud to sponsor this cycle of the NEHRP Provisions update, and to publish the new edition for use by national codes and standards organizations and the general public. The 2015 NEHRP Provisions are a new knowledge-based resource document intended to translate research results into engineering design practice. The new changes in the 2015 NEHRP Provisions have incorporated extensive results and findings from recent research projects, problem-focused studies, and post-earthquake investigation reports conducted by various professional organizations, research institutes, universities, material industries, and the NEHRP agencies. Similar to the previous edition, the 2015 NEHRP Provisions have adopted by reference the American Structural Engineers Association (ASCE) / Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) standard ASCE/SEI 7-10: Minimum Design Loads for New Buildings and Other Structures as the baseline.
These updated training and instructional materials supplement the design examples. FEMA P-1052 Part 4 includes Chapters 13-15. FEMA P-1052 CD is available for order from the FEMA Distribution Center, 1-800-480-2520.
The 2015 NEHRP Provisions marks the ninth edition of this technical resource document since its first publication in 1985. FEMA is proud to sponsor this cycle of the NEHRP Provisions update, and to publish the new edition for use by national codes and standards organizations and the general public. The 2015 NEHRP Provisions are a new knowledge-based resource document intended to translate research results into engineering design practice. The new changes in the 2015 NEHRP Provisions have incorporated extensive results and findings from recent research projects, problem-focused studies, and post-earthquake investigation reports conducted by various professional organizations, research institutes, universities, material industries, and the NEHRP agencies. Similar to the previous edition, the 2015 NEHRP Provisions have adopted by reference the American Structural Engineers Association (ASCE) / Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) standard ASCE/SEI 7-10: Minimum Design Loads for New Buildings and Other Structures as the baseline.
These updated training and instructional materials supplement the design examples. FEMA P-1052 Part 5 includes Chapters 16-18. FEMA P-1052 CD is available for order from the FEMA Distribution Center, 1-800-480-2520.