Comparative Emergency Management

1. Comparative Emergency Management Session 14 Slide Deck Session 14

2. Session Objectives • Provide a Broad Understanding of Structural Mitigation • Explain the Various Structural Mitigation Techniques and Provide Examples from The United States and Abroad Session 14

3. Structural Mitigation Measures “those measures that involve or dictate the necessity for some form of construction, engineering, or other mechanical changes or improvements aimed at reducing hazard risk likelihood or consequence” Session 14

4. Structural Mitigation Considerations • ‘Man controlling nature’ • Expensive • Regulation • Compliance • Enforcement • Inspection • Maintenance • Renewal Session 14

5. Structural Mitigation Groups • Resistant construction • Building codes and regulatory measures • Relocation • Structural modification • Construction of community shelters • Construction of barrier, deflection, or retention systems • Detection systems • Physical modification • Treatment systems • Redundancy in life safety infrastructure Session 14

6. Resistant Construction • Designed to resist forces prior to construction • Capitalizes on advances in architectural and construction research and practice, and institutional learning • Requires awareness of hazards and their associated forces • Most cost effective option, and most likely to succeed • Depends on financial resources, technical expertise, and material resources Session 14

7. Building Codes and Regulatory Measures • Allows for more uniform risk reduction • Used in almost every country • Requires significant knowledge about hazard risk • Must be properly applied • Many obstacles exist Session 14

8. Relocation • Most commonly associated with flooding • Destruction and reconstruction is often the most cost effective method, but not always feasible • May be necessary to move the entire community Session 14

9. Structural Modification • Can be the result of: • Newly-acquired risk information • New methods of mitigating risk • Three treatment options • Do nothing • Demolish and rebuild • Modify the structure • Also known as ‘retrofitting’ Session 14

10. Construction of Community Shelters • Shelters can be designed to resist hazards that average building stock has not addressed • Economic alternative when other methods are unlikely or unrealistic • Three requirements • Effective early warning • Public education • Shelter maintenance (non-disaster and disaster) Session 14

11. Barrier, Deflection, and Retention Systems • Forces controlled in some manner • Prevent forces from impacting structures or life • Barriers halt the force • Deflection systems divert the force • Retention systems contain the force Session 14

12. Detection Systems • Recognize hazards that might not otherwise be perceptible to humans • Applications for all hazard types (natural, technological, and intentional) • Can be used to provide increased preparedness and response lead time, or actually prevent the hazard from occurring. Session 14

13. Physical Modification • Physical landscape altered • Reduce either likelihood or consequence risk factors – or both • Through: • Simple landscaping measures • Engineered structures Session 14

14. Treatment Systems • Remove a hazard from a natural system that humans depend upon • Can be for nonstop use, or only under certain circumstances Session 14

15. Redundancy in Life Safety Infrastructure • Address dependencies on critical infrastructures, and on emergency services • Failure of infrastructure can lead to catastrophe Session 14