Safety Assessment Program Evaluator Student Manual

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CA Emergency Mgmt. Agency Safety Assessment Program Evaluator Manual April 2011Remember that we address the existing damage in relation to continued occupancy, not just inmobile homes but in any other structure as well. For example, if a mobile home does not haveseismic bracing, but has not been damaged, it is placarded with an INSPECTED posting; the lackof seismic bracing does not enter into the decision. There has been no change in the safety of theunit as a result of the event.Because the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) hasprimary jurisdiction over mobile homes, manufactured homes, and home communities, it ishighly recommended that technical questions and inspection information regarding these bechanneled to HCD from any local agency doing mobile home or manufactured home inspections,so as to avoid duplication of effort and inefficiency. HCD field inspection offices are located inSacramento [(916) 255-2501] and Riverside [(951) 782-4420].3.3 Historic StructuresHistoric structures have presented unique problems for the safety assessment process. Aftersome disaster events, some jurisdictions have been accused of using the crisis as an opportunityto eliminate some of their historic building stock. This was allegedly done by posting thesebuildings UNSAFE and then ordering their demolition. Without weighing in on what may havehappened in the past, it is important to examine some of the issues surrounding historicstructures.The California Governor‟s Office of Emergency Services (OES, now Cal EMA) was asked bythe historic preservation community to develop evaluation procedures for historic structures thatwould take into account their particular issues, including the demolition concern. OES resistedthat effort because the issues that preclude post-disaster use of a structure are not dependent onthe age of the structure. Rather, it is the damage from the event which creates a hazard to theoccupants that determines the continued occupancy. Therefore, a different or special set ofevaluation procedures are not necessary.However, these buildings are relatively fragile, and being aware of that will help the SAPevaluator to assess the safety of these buildings properly. The older ones were often built usingthe varied experiences and training of craftsman rather than any uniform building code, plushave most likely grown more fragile over time. As a result, disasters tend to find and damagethem!There are several factors that set aside a building as historic. It is not unusual to have a buildingthat may be old, but has no historic features at all.Federal regulations state that any structure that was built 50 years ago or more is potentiallyhistoric. (For this edition of the SAP Evaluator manual, that means any structure built before1960 could be historic.) Historic structures are protected under the National HistoricPreservation Act (NHPA); from the standpoint of federal disaster assistance, any structure that isat least 50 years old must be subject to a review under NHPA to determine the impacts of therepairs.The first step in the process is to have the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) determineif the structure is on a local or state historic registry, or the National Register of Historic Places.If not, SHPO must determine if the structure is eligible for inclusion in the National Register. If88
CA Emergency Mgmt. Agency Safety Assessment Program Evaluator Manual April 2011all or part of the building is considered to be eligible for the National Register, then the repairwork must comply with the Secretary of the Interior‟s standards for historic structures, as well asthe State Historic Building Code. If the structure is not eligible for the National Register, thenthe repairs fall under the requirements of local building codes, even though the structure is olderthan 50 years.There are four main issues that determine eligibility for the National Register. They are:A place where a historic event took place, or that is associated with a historic person.An example of the work of a master, such as Frank Lloyd Wright (Marin Civic Center) orJulia Morgan (Hearst Castle).An example of a period architecture, such as Craftsman, Victorian, or Art Deco.A location with cultural or architectural significance.The revisions to the original ATC-20 UNSAFE placard have reduced the fears of thepreservation community that older buildings will face wholesale demolition after a largeearthquake. Having the phrase “THIS IS NOT A DEMOLITION ORDER” on the placardclarifies that the posting refers to the use of the building, not its state of repairability. All thebasic principles of ATC-20 apply to historic structures as much as they do to new construction.As discussed earlier, the SAP evaluators must be careful that the vulnerability of the inherentpre-disaster condition of the building is not the major concern when posting the building forsafety. If the building was undamaged by the disaster, it is as safe after the disaster as it wasbefore. Evaluators do not post an older building with restrictions or as “unsafe” simply becauseit is old.3.3.1 StabilizationThough stabilization is not a part of safety assessment, the time may come when an evaluator isasked for an opinion regarding a building that has been deemed an imminent hazard. Wheneverpossible, buildings that pose an imminent threat to life safety or to the public right-of-way shouldbe stabilized until the major hazards can be properly addressed. There will be those cases wherethe only way to address the hazard is to demolish the dangerous structure.There are many ways in which buildings can be stabilized to reduce the imminent hazard. Thesemethods may be very complex and involve a great deal of labor and material to accomplish, orthey can be very simple and intended to arrest the failure of the structure.There are several publications that address the details of stabilization and that include designexamples. One such publication is Temporary Shoring & Stabilization of Earthquake DamagedHistoric Buildings by Roy W. Harthorn, published by the California Building Officials. Thisdocument was developed with a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, administered bythe State of California Office of Historic Preservation.The temporary stabilizing of buildings is not limited to those that pose an imminent hazard to lifesafety or the public right-of-way. In some cases, portions of buildings can be stabilized to reducea threat that would allow a sidewalk or alley to reopen, or even to allow owners or tenants toenter the building for possession retrieval. The methods described in this section are usually89
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Safety Assessment Program Evaluator Student Manual

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