Since the federal government has recently placed all seismic retrofit grants on hold, many public entities are wondering how to proceed in funding their seismic retrofit projects. VIE can assist an organization to fund seismic retrofit projects, as we have for many organizations that have pursued seismic retrofit projects independent of FEMA for decades.

The Shift In Funding Responsibilities

Previously, FEMA, short for the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, has been responsible for providing aid and money to areas affected by natural disasters. Recently, the federal government shifted this burden to states, cities, and individuals, stating that preparedness is most efficiently owned and managed at state, local, and individual levels.

Thus, while FEMA grants may be on hold, other funding options for seismic retrofits are available.

The Importance Of Seismic Retrofitting

With these recent changes, entities may wonder if seismic retrofitting should still be pursued. The answer is yes. 

Seismic retrofitting is a critical investment to safeguard employees, protect property, and comply with local regulations. The cost of seismic retrofitting is a fraction of potential earthquake damage costs. The MultiHazard Mitigation Council estimated that buildings above 2015 IBC requirements could result in a national average BCR of 4, meaning that for every $1 spent on seismic retrofitting, $4 can be saved in future earthquake damage costs. 

As such, seismic retrofitting is a smart investment to improve life-safety and protect businesses from the financial impact of earthquakes. 

Funding Options For Seismic Retrofits

While FEMA grants have been a prominent source of funding for seismic retrofits, there are still multiple options available for funding for seismic retrofits now that FEMA grants are on hold. Such funding includes: bonds, capital improvement plans, grants from non-public organizations, state or municipality funding, and more.

Bonds

Public entities often issue bonds annually. Seismic retrofitting projects can be included in these bond issuances, allowing for the funding of retrofits. Such approaches can result in an increase in a favorability rating from bonds, which can lead to better borrowing conditions. 

VIE can assist public entities in preparing and presenting seismic retrofit projects in the approach being used to public meetings, ensuring community buy-in and obtaining public approval for the projects.

Capital Improvements

Most seismic retrofits qualify as capital improvements, if seismic retrofitting is bundled with other capital improvement projects, the costs of retrofitting can be significantly reduced, making it easier to include in long-term capital plans. 

VIE can assist in integrating seismic retrofitting into broader capital improvement plans, ensuring that these projects are accounted for effectively. Many times older facilities that may have seismic safety issues may also have other issues related to outdated interior layouts, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems that are nearing the end of their useful lives. By including these other upgrades with seismic retrofitting, the useful lives of these facilities may be substantially extended. 

This avoids the considerable expense of constructing new facilities in cases where facility retrofit is a more economical alternative. 

Grants From Non-Public Organizations

There are funding opportunities from private and non-public entities, such as charitable foundations, particularly for specific projects such as hospital retrofits or other essential infrastructure. 

VIE can assist public and private entities in navigating the process of applying for grants from non-public sources, which could be viable alternatives to FEMA funding. . 

State Or Municipality-Specific Funding

Many states or municipalities offer specific funding for disaster prevention, such as seismic retrofitting projects in earthquake-prone areas. VIE has extensive experience working with local legislature bodies to obtain state or municipality specific funding.

Value Engineering

VIE can utilize expertise gained from more than 40 years of experience in performing many different aspects of seismic retrofit projects to help identify the most economical method to achieve seismic safety objectives. Many different approaches are available to achieve more resilient structural systems, VIE can help optimize projects to achieve greater cost-benefit solutions. 

VIE Can Assist In Obtaining Funding For Seismic Retrofits

As one can see, just because FEMA is on hold for the moment doesn’t mean an entity cannot obtain funding for seismic retrofits. These options provide a range of alternatives for funding these projects and enhancing the safety and resiliency of infrastructure in earthquake-prone areas.

VIE would welcome the opportunity to meet with your organization to discuss your projects and options to fund retrofits that may be needed. If you are trying to obtain funding for seismic retrofits now that FEMA grants are currently on hold, contact us today to learn more about potential funding opportunities available to you. 

Earthquakes not only pose a significant threat to life safety, but also to economics. They can severely damage equipment, buildings, and infrastructure, as well as disrupt production. When you’re operating a business in an area with seismic hazards, advance planning will improve the likelihood that your business will still be able to operate with functional systems in place. 

Planning for business operations after earthquakes can be challenging, but seismic mitigation planning has been proven to be an effective tool for business management.

How Earthquakes Impact Your Business

Earthquakes don’t come with a warning, which means that unless businesses are prepared for seismic activity, business owners don’t have time to plan. As such, businesses must have a plan and proper preparations in place if the business is somewhere prone to earthquakes. Some of the ways earthquakes can impact businesses are as follows.

Employee And Customer Safety Concerns

Paramount to how earthquakes impact businesses are the life safety concerns. Earthquakes can result in injuries or even fatalities. Operations can be shut down while safety and security are assessed. Damage to homes and infrastructure can make it challenging for people to get to work. 

Physical Damage

Earthquakes can result in building damage, equipment damage, and infrastructure damage. The ground shaking can cause buildings to be severely damaged, as well as damage equipment and inventory. It can also rupture and damage critical infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, disrupting transportation and access to facilities. Earthquakes can also break water lines, leading to water damage.

Utility Disruption

Earthquakes can also cause issues like power outages from knocking out power lines and electrical systems. They can rupture gas lines, which can cause fires and explosions and long-term disruptions to how your business runs. Telecommunication infrastructure can also be damaged or overloaded, leading to issues in business communication and internet access.

Supply Chain Disruption

Another way earthquakes prevent businesses from running normally is through problems like material shortages, supplier disruptions, and transportation disruptions, as from damaged roads, ports, and warehouses.

Economic Impact

Earthquakes can lead to extended periods of business downtime and lost revenue, as well as increased repair and insurance costs, as from damage assessments and insurance claims. 

Long-Term Recovery

Earthquakes can have lasting psychological impacts on people and communities, leading to uncertainty and difficulty resuming normal business operations. Reconstruction can take a significant amount of time and resources, potentially leading to longer economic recovery for some businesses.

Avoid Nonstructural Damage With Seismic Anchorage And Bracing

Business owners must consider the potential impact of earthquakes and related hazards and plan accordingly in order to make a successful and speedy recovery easier. It makes sense to take practiced steps to protect their employees, operations, and assets from seismic damage. Businesses can temporarily lose the ability to generate income after a seismic event.

While most people think of infrastructure and structural damage when they think of the aftermath of an earthquake, the damage unrestrained non-structural systems can wreak should not be overlooked. Nonstructural systems are often overlooked or inadequately managed compared to the structural elements of a building.

However, damage to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, as well as process equipment, computer equipment, and the like can all result in prolonged facility downtime following a seismic event. Fires, flooding, hazardous material leakage, process equipment damage, and more can result from unrestrained nonstructural systems.

By mitigating nonstructural hazards now, businesses can protect their employees from injury, prevent property damage, and resume operations more quickly after a seismic event. Seismic bracing secures nonstructural systems, resisting horizontal shaking and swaying. Seismic braces resist the seismic load nonstructural systems experience during earthquakes through bracing them to structural components of a building. 

Enhancing Business Operationality With Seismic Engineering

VIE provides comprehensive seismic engineering services throughout the United States. We work with Connectors for Construction (CFC) in order to provide our clients with turn-key solutions, including complete design and supply of all bracing components. 

Businesses across the United States rely on VIE’s 40+ years of experience for seismic bracing design that fulfills all code requirements and helps keep businesses running after an earthquake.

To learn more about our seismic bracing design or the other seismic engineering services we provide, contact us today. 

Earthquakes pose significant challenges to the structural integrity of buildings. Seismic bracing is one way to mitigate the damage seismic events can cause, as is utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) in structural design for smooth integration of various building systems. 

Through coordination of seismic bracing within BIM models, it is possible to construct earthquake-resistant structures that prioritize life-safety and mitigate losses in a seismic event.

About BIM

Building Information Modeling is a project management method for construction that centralizes all information related to the design, construction, and maintenance of a structure. When applied to seismic design, it enables integration of seismic requirements from the early stages of the project. 

Basically, BIM is a 3D digital blueprint, a guidebook to the various design elements of a building. The virtual model can be completed with all elements you would find in a real building, from walls to windows to plumbing systems to seismic restraints, and more. It also contains information about each element, such as the materials elements are made of, how much they cost, and plans to install and build it. 

This enables everyone involved in building design to collaborate efficiently. 

About Seismic Bracing

When seismic events occur, damage can be caused by unrestrained non-structural components, like mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Seismic restraints are engineered to maintain the stability of these systems even when the ground shakes. This mitigates costly damages, improves life safety, and helps maintain system operationality after seismic events.

Engineers can also work with BIM models to locate specific installation spots and prepare models free of unforeseen costs. This allows for more seamless coordination between all consultations and the highest level of accuracy, but is more expensive upfront.

Coordination of Seismic Bracing Within BIM Models

Leveraging BIM models streamlines the modelling process by enabling challenges to be tackled head-on and innovative solutions to be created to conquer space constraints and manage the project effectively.  

Seismic force increases with each level a building has, requiring stronger, more closely spaced seismic restraints, such as on upper floors versus ground floors. BIM models account for building height like these, expand product choices, and limit design changes, since changes can be made in the modeling stage, minimizing longer project delivery times as can result from changes during the developed design phase. 

BIM makes it easier to account for enough room not just for the MEP systems, but also for their seismic restraints, which need to be installed in specific places, which can sometimes conflict with other utilities and structural elements. Potential conflicts or coordination issues can be addressed before construction begins, saving time and reducing costly on-site modifications.. 

VIE’s Expertise Involving Seismic Bracing Within BIM Models

VIE works with design teams, which include engineers and architects for buildings, as well as mechanical and electrical contractors, to coordinate building information modeling (BIM). This information is important, particularly concerning seismic bracing to the BIM model for the entire project. By doing this, seismic bracing can be more efficiently installed and more effectively coordinated with other utilities and structural systems throughout the building.

VIE understands BIM models may be revised and updated as projects progress. VIE works with design teams and contractors to keep BIM models consistent with current design and construction at the site.

Seismic Bracing And Engineering In The United States

VIE is proud to be a seismic engineering firm that clients return to, time and time again. With over 40 years of experience, VIE has proven, innovative methods that withstand seismic activity and promote the life-safety of structures. Whether you are in need of coordination of seismic bracing within BIM models or other seismic engineering services, rely on us to help you make buildings safer, more efficient, and better able to withstand the forces of nature.

Contact us today to learn more about our seismic engineering services and what we can do for you.