47.5 MB - The Whole Building Design Guide

ational during and after a major disaster, people’s lives and thecommunity’s vitality can be better preserved and protected.This manual is a part of FEMA’s Risk Management Series, whichprovides guidelines for mitigating against multiple hazards. Theseries emphasizes mitigation best practices for specific buildinguses, such as schools, hospitals, higher education buildings,multi-family dwellings, commercial buildings, and light industrialfacilities.OBJECTIVESThe poor performance of many critical facilities in the affectedareas was not unique to Hurricane Katrina. It was observed in numeroushurricanes dating back more than three decades. Severalreasons may explain this kind of performance. In many cases thedamaged facilities were quite old and were constructed well beforethe introduction of modern codes and standards. Some ofthe older facilities were damaged because building componentshad deteriorated as a result of inadequate maintenance. Many facilitiesoccupy unsuitable buildings that were never intended forthis type of use. Some newer facilities suffered damage as a resultof deficiencies in design and construction or the application of inappropriatedesign criteria and standards.The primary objective of this manual is to assist the buildingdesign community and local officials and decisionmakers inadopting and implementing sound mitigation measures that willdecrease the vulnerability of critical facilities to major disasters.The goals of this manual are to:m Present and recommend the use of building design featuresand building materials and methods that can improve theperformance of critical facilities in hazard-prone areas duringand after flooding and high-wind events.m Introduce and provide guidelines for implementing floodingand high-wind mitigation best practices into the process ofdesign, construction, and operation and maintenance ofcritical facilities.iiForeword AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS