Building Seismic Safety Program
Guidelines and Standards
The Reclamation Building Seismic Safety Program (Program) has adopted the following guidelines and standards.
General Risk Identification — The Program uses the recommendations from the 10/26/01 Ballot Version of RP6 — Standards for Seismic Safety for Existing Federally Owned or Leased Buildings, Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in Construction.
Program Implementation — The Program follows the requirements of Department of the Interior Plan for the Implementation of Executive Order 12941, “Seismic Safety of Federally Owned or Leased Buildings,” May 1996, Revised April 2001.
Risk — The Program uses the criteria established in Guidelines for Achieving Public Protection in Dam Safety Decision Making, United States Bureau of Reclamation, April 4, 1997.
Screenings — Rapid visual screenings (RVS) are conducted using the reference Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic hazards: A Handbook (FEMA 154 and 155).
The Program has adopted the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Guidelines and/or Standards for all seismic evaluations and rehabilitation designs of Reclamation-owned reserved and transferred buildings.
Evaluations — The following is an evolution listing of the Handbooks/ Standards used for seismic evaluations by the Program:
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FEMA 178, NEHRP Handbook for the Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings.
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FEMA 310, NEHRP Handbook for Seismic Evaluation of Buildings — A Prestandard.
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ASCE Draft Standard (4th Ballot Version), Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings (a.k.a. FEMA 310).
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ASCE 31-03 Draft Standard (Public Ballot), American Society of Civil Engineers, Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings (a.k.a. FEMA 310)
The FEMA 178 was implemented and used within the Program throughout FY98; the FEMA 310 Prestandard was adopted and used throughout FY99 and most of FY00; the ASCE Draft Standard versions were used throughout the later portion of FY00 and FY01. It is expected that the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will publish the newest evaluation tool, ASCE 31 Standard, during FY02, which will be adopted by the Program.
Rehabilitation — The following is an evolution listing of the Rehabilitation Guidelines used for seismic rehabilitation designs by the Program:
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FEMA 273/274 (Provisions/Commentary) NEHRP Guidelines for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings, dated October 1997.
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FEMA 356 Prestandard and Commentary for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings, dated November 2000.
Currently, the Program has adopted the FEMA 356 Rehabilitation Guidelines — Prestandard. The Guideline is in the process of being converted to an ASCE Draft Standard and will eventually be converted to an ASCE Standard.