Engineers and government agencies along with model building code and standard developers should work together to create a national framework more focused on earthquake resilience and post-quake recovery time, according to a report delivered to Congress last week. While current seismic codes address life safety, the report says stakeholders should also consider re-occupancy and functional recovery time, taking into account the potential impacts to a community as a whole.
The report’s findings were compiled by a committee formed in 2019 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the direction of Congress.