The National Institute of Building Sciences Multihazard Mitigation Council (MMC), with the financial support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the International Code Council (ICC) and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), is beginning a new study to look at the cost effectiveness of disaster mitigation efforts in the public sector, as well as the benefits of using codes to mitigate the impact of natural disasters in the private sector. The Institute is continuing to seek additional supporters as this research effort gets under way.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host a special webinar to address the newest ground motion requirements of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)/Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) standard, ASCE 7-16: Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the free webinar, “New Site-Specific Ground Motion Requirements of ASCE 7-16,” is scheduled for Friday, July 28, 2017, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET (11:00 am to 12:00 pm PT).

The presenter, Dr. Charles A. Kircher, is a member of the BSSC Provisions Update Committee (PUC) and BSSC Project 17 Committee, as well as the ASCE 7 Seismic Subcommittee. He will talk about how the new site-specific design requirements were developed to address an identified shortcoming in the method for buildings on softer sites.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host the sixth webinar in its 2017 series sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The free webinar, “Seismic Design of Masonry with the 2015 NEHRP Provisions,” will be held Friday, August 25, 2017, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET (11:00 am to 12:00 pm PT).

The BSSC webinar series highlights the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for Buildings and Other Structures, as well as its supporting materials, FEMA P-1051 Design Examples and FEMA P-1052 Training Materials.

The National Institute of Building Sciences will unveil the Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report at a presentation luncheon Thursday, January 11, 2018, from 12:00 to 1:30 pm, during Building Innovation 2018 Conference & Expo. The report, which highlights the significant savings that result from implementing mitigation strategies in terms of safety, and the prevention of property loss and disruption of day-to-day life, builds on the well-known 2005 report of the same name.

Natural hazards present significant risks to many communities across the United States. Fortunately, there are measures governments, building owners, developers, tenants and others can take to reduce the impacts of such events. The Mitigation Saves project team looked at the benefits of two mitigation strategies: designing new buildings to exceed select requirements of the 2015 International Codes and 23 years of federal mitigation grants. During the lunch presentation, the panel of speakers will reveal the initial findings of the multi-year, multi-dimensional research project.

Today, the National Institute of Building Sciences issued Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report, more than a decade after releasing its original report on the same topic and only days after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared 2017 the costliest year on record for weather and climate disasters.

Today, the National Institute of Building Sciences issued its latest report in a multi-year study on natural hazard mitigation. The second in a series of interim results, Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: Utilities and Transportation Infrastructure examines the potential benefits associated with investing in mitigation for select utility and transportation infrastructure.

Natural hazards present significant risks to many communities across the United States. Fortunately, there are measures governments, building owners, developers, tenants and others can take to reduce the impacts of such events. These measures—commonly called mitigation—can result in significant savings in terms of safety, and prevent property loss and disruption of day-to-day life.