Seismic Safety of Federal Buildings - Initial Program: How Much Will It Cost?
Seismic Safety of Federal Buildings - Initial Program:
How Much Will It Cost?
(1186 K)
Todd, D. R.
NISTIR 5419; 30 p. April 1994.
Sponsor:
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Order number: PB95-182291
Keywords:
seismic safety; federal buildings; costs; standards;
rehabilitation
Abstract:
This paper provides information on the approximate cost
impacts that would arise from implementing an initial
program aimed at laying the foundation for achieving the
long-term goal of seismic safety in all Federal
buildings. The initial program is set forth in a
proposed Executive Order titled "Seismic Safety of
Existing Federally Owned or Leased Buildings."
Information from documents published by the General
Accounting Office, Federal Emergency Management Agency,
and the National Institute of Standards and Technology
were combined with self-reported seismic evaluation and
rehabilitation experiences by agencies that have ongoing
programs to develop an estimate of the cost of
implementation. The proposed order adopts "Standards of
Seismic Safety for Existing Federally Owned or Leased
Buildings" as the minimum level for Federal use, and
makes mandatory seismic evaluation and, if necessary,
rehabilitation under certain conditions, which are
identified in the Standards. It is estimated that this
requirement would result in about $5.3 million per year
in recurring annual costs, spread across all agencies of
the Federal government, to evaluate and seismically
rehabilitate buildings that would not otherwise be
addressed. The proposed Executive Order also directs
all Federal departments and agencies to, within four
years of signing, develop an inventory of their owned
and leased buildings, and to estimate the cost of
mitigating unacceptable seismic risks in their
buildings. Costs to develop the required inventory and
cost estimate are expected to be about $116 million,
spread across all Federal agencies and over six years.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899