The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is part of
the Department of Homeland Security, works to reduce the
ever-increasing cost that disasters inflict on the nation.
Preventing losses before they occur by designing and constructing
buildings and their components to withstand anticipated forces from
various hazards is one of the key components of mitigation and is
one of the most effective ways of reducing the cost of future
disasters. The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program
(NEHRP) is the federal program established to address the nation's
earthquake threat. NEHRP seeks to resolve two basic issues: how
will earthquakes affect us and how do we best apply our resources
to reduce their impact on our nation. The program was established
by Congress under the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977
(Public Law 95-124) and was the result of years of examination of
the earthquake hazard and possible mitigation measures. Under the
NEHRP, FEMA is responsible for supporting program implementation
activities, including the development, publication, and
dissemination of technical design and construction guidance
documents. Generally, there has not been much technical guidance
addressing residential buildings unless they are located in areas
of high seismicity or exceed a certain size or height. This is
because most residential buildings were thought to perform fairly
well in earthquakes due to their low mass and simple construction.
While buildings may not normally experience catastrophic collapse,
they can still suffer significant amounts of damage, rendering them
uninhabitable. This is especially true when construction techniques
are less than adequate. What is particularly important from FEMA's
point of view is that, given the sheer number of this type of
building, even minor damage represents a significant loss potential
and temporary housing demand that will need to be addressed after
an earthquake by all levels of government. This guide provides
information on current best practices for earthquake-resistant
house design and construction for use by builders, designers, code
enforcement personnel, and potential homeowners. It incorporates
lessons learned from the 1989 Loma Prieta and 1994 Northridge
earthquakes as well as knowledge gained from the FEMA-funded
CUREE-Caltech Woodframe Project. It also introduces and explains
the effects of earthquake loads on one- and two-family detached
houses and identifies the requirements of the 2003 International
Residential Code (IRC) intended to resist these loads. The stated
purpose of the IRC is to provide: ..". minimum requirements to
safeguard the public safety, health, and general welfare, through
affordability, structural strength, means of egress facilities,
stability, sanitation, light and ventilation, energy conservation
and safety to life and property from fire and other hazards
attributed to the built environment." Because the building code
requirements are minimums, a house and its contents still may be
damaged in an earthquake even if it was designed and built to
comply with the code. Research has shown, however, that earthquake
damage to a house can be reduced for a relatively small increase in
construction cost. This guide identifies above-code techniques for
improving earthquake performance and presents an estimate of their
cost. Note that the information presented in this guide is not
intended to replace the IRC or any applicable state or local
building code, and the reader is urged to consult with the local
building department before applying any of the guidance presented
in this document. The information presented in this guide applies
only to one- and two-family detached houses constructed using the
nonengineered prescriptive construction provisions of the IRC.
Applicable IRC limits on building configuration and construction
are described.
General
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