Bureau of Reclamation; Safety, Security and Law Enforcement Office; Dam Safety Office; Building Seismic Safety Program

Building Seismic Safety Program Guidelines and Standards

The BSSP has adopted the following guidelines and standards:

Building Seismic Safety Program Implementation - The BSSP follows the requirements of the U.S. Department of the Interior Seismic Safety Program (Interior Program) for the implementation of Executive Order 12941, Seismic Safety of Existing Federally Owned or Leased Buildings, dated December 1, 1994.

Screenings - A Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) is conducted using the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards: A Handbook. Second Edition (FEMA 154) and Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards: Supporting Documentation. Second Edition (FEMA 155).

General Risk Identification - The BSSP uses the recommendations from the Standards of Seismic Safety for Existing Federally Owned or Leased Buildings, Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in Construction (ICSSC) RP 6, dated January 18, 2002.

Risk - The BSSP uses the criteria established in Reclamation's Guidelines for Achieving Public Protection in Dam Safety Decision Making, dated April 4, 1997.

The BSSP has adopted the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) guidelines and standards for all seismic evaluations and rehabilitation designs of Reclamation-owned reserved and transferred buildings.

Evaluations - The following is an evolution listing of the guidelines and standards used for seismic evaluations by the BSSP (in order from earliest to most recent):

NEHRP Handbook for the Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings (FEMA 178)
NEHRP Handbook for Seismic Evaluation of Buildings-A Prestandard (FEMA 310)
(updated version of FEMA 178)
ASCE Draft Standard, Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings
(4th ballot version)
ASCE 31-xx Draft Standard, Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings
(public ballot version)
Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings (ASCE 31-02)
(supersedes FEMA 310)
Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings (ASCE 31-03)
(updated version of ASCE 31-02)

Note: FEMA 178 was implemented and used within the BSSP throughout fiscal year 1998.

            FEMA 310 was adopted and used throughout fiscal year 1999 and most of fiscal year 2000.

            Both the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Draft Standard versions were used throughout
            the latter part of fiscal year 2000 and fiscal year 2001.

            ASCE 31-02 was used throughout fiscal year 2002 and up until ASCE 31-03 was adopted in
            fiscal year 2003.

            The newest evaluation tool, ASCE 31-03, was adopted by the BSSP in fiscal year 2003 and is still
            currently in use.

Rehabilitation - The following is an evolution listing of the rehabilitation guidelines and standards used for seismic rehabilitation designs by the BSSP:

NEHRP Guidelines for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings (FEMA 273),
dated October 1997.
NEHRP Commentary on the Guidelines for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings (FEMA 274),
dated October 1997.
Prestandard and Commentary for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings (FEMA 356),
dated November 2000.
ASCE/SEI Standard 41-06, Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings (ASCE/SEI 41-06),
dated 2007 (supersedes FEMA 356, 274, and 273).

Note: The newest rehabilitation tool, ASCE/SEI 41-06, was adopted by the BSSP in the latter part of fiscal
year 2007 and is still currently in use.