In the event of an emergency, communities rely on first responders for aid. However, if crucial public buildings, like fire stations, aren’t up to current seismic code, the first responders themselves are in danger and may be unable to serve the needs of their communities. Federal grants provide the necessary funding to obtain seismic retrofits to keep such facilities safer.

The Importance Of Seismic Rehabilitation For Emergency Responders

It’s critical that first responders are able to perform emergency functions, and in areas with seismic activity, part of how they can do that is by increasing buildings’ capabilities to withstand earthquake forces. Seismic retrofits are not luxuries, but necessities, for the safety of all in the community.

Seismic retrofitting is the process of strengthening buildings to make them more resistant to earthquake damage. It can be done structurally and to nonstructural systems, such as mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems. This process includes measures such as adding reinforcement to unreinforced masonry walls, adding new lateral-load resisting elements, strengthening weak connections, and more. Non-structurally, this includes measures such as seismic bracing and seismic anchorage.

The point of seismic retrofits is to improve life-safety measures, minimize financial losses, and facilitate quicker and more cost-effective post-disaster recovery. Critical public buildings, like fire stations, must meet performance requirements so that continued operations can be conducted following a seismic event.

Gran ts provide funds for seismic retrofitting of such buildings. First responders can obtain a variety of grants, such as pre-disaster mitigation grants, firefighter grants, emergency medical services grants, and more. To achieve success and win a grant, it’s important to work with an experienced grant writer who coordinates with the client in order to develop a grant that meets client needs, project execution goals, and schedule and budget limitations.

The Needs Of One Of VIE’s Fire Station Grant Writing Projects

The United Fire Authority conducted a seismic risk analysis of its 25 fire stations, which were built over the past 40 years to varying levels of seismic standards. 5 of these stations were scheduled for near term replacement while the other 20 were evaluated for expected performance during a seismic event.

These seismic evaluations determined that 15 fire stations met seismic criteria, while the other 5 required seismic retrofitting. In addition to this, it was determined that even the fire stations that did not require structural retrofits needed non-structural retrofitting done.

Such seismic retrofits were important to protect not only the occupants of the fire stations, but also, the communities the fire stations served. The entire community benefits from fire stations that are more resilient to earthquake events.

All-Encompassing Grants To Streamline Processes

Rather than writing multiple grants to try to accomplish seismic retrofit needs, an experienced grant writer can streamline the process through writing an all-encompassing grant. This makes the process of getting the grant approved and the project completed much more efficient.

How VIE Streamlined The Grant Process For UFA

The United Fire Authority retained VIE for our grant writing services. We wrote an all-encompassing grant to do seismic retrofits of multiple fire stations in one grant. The grant was approved, and over the next 3 years, UFA selected and utilized general contractors to do all seismic retrofits.

Ensuring The Success Of The Grant

Once the grant is written and won, the process does not end there. Grant management ensures the success of the grant by coordinating amongst parties involved. This involves everything from negotiation of the final contract with the funding entity to grant performance to financial management, and finally, to grant closeout.

Achieving Results On-Time And Under-Budget

While VIE did not do any design work on this project, VIE coordinated it with Utah, UFA, and FEMA throughout the construction process to ensure the success of the grant. The total budget was about 2.6 million dollars, but all work was completed about $200,000 under budget, on-time and on-schedule.

Grant Writing, Benefit-Cost Analysis, And Grant Management Services In The United States

Grants for Fire Stations: Obtaining Necessary Seismic Retrofits

VIE provides grant writing, benefit-cost analysis, and grant management services in the United States. We actively research the status of grant programs as part of our business. We study all aspects of a project to determine if and all grant funds that may be available. Successful grant writing can be the key to a project being delayed, canceled, or moving forward. VIE’s grant-win success rate exceeds 90%.

To learn more about our grant writing services or any of the other seismic engineering services that we provide, please do not hesitate to contact us today.

Seismic certification is the crucial aspect of ensuring that non-structural equipment is capable of withstanding seismic events while maintaining functionality. Critical needs facilities, such as hospitals, data centers, emergency operations centers, police and fire stations, and more need to be able to provide services 24/7, especially in the event of an emergency. The equipment in these facilities must not only survive a seismic event, it must remain operational.

Through obtaining seismic certification, manufacturers attest to the resilience of their products, building the confidence of building owners. While shake-table testing is the most commonly known method of equipment certification, one can also achieve seismic certification without shake-table testing. Here is a look into how this works.

Types Of Seismic Certification Methods

Certification can be achieved through testing, analysis, experience data, or a combination of methods.

Shake Table Testing

Shake table testing is the most commonly known method of seismic certification. This is a physical dynamic test where a structure (either a full-sized model or scaled down) is placed on a platform that moves on one or multiple axes. Shake tables simulate earthquake ground motions and the resulting motions of structures. Through placing equipment models on shake tables, engineers can determine if they can survive earthquakes.

Experience Data And Analysis

Seismic analysis and seismic performance database methods certify equipment without the need for shake-table testing. This process is approved by multiple review authorities, such as the IBC, UFC, ASCE 7, and more to ensure equipment is up-to-code and will perform as needed.

Why Choose Seismic Certification Without Shake-Table Testing

While shake-table testing is a tried-and-true method of seismic certification, there are a few reasons why one may opt for seismic certification without shake-table testing. Some of which are as follows.

No Risk Of Breaking Equipment

With analysis and experience data methods, the engineers don’t really have to touch the equipment in order to do their job. This is an advantage to clients, as the whole process of shake-table testing can result in damage to custom, expensive equipment. As shake-table testing means having to ship the equipment to a testing facility, testing it, and then shipping it back to the client, this results in higher risk of equipment breakage.

Quick Turnaround

Since there’s no shipping of equipment, analysis and experience data certification reports can be prepared in a matter of weeks, rather than the months to a year one would wait for shake-table testing.

Cost-Effective

Seismic certification without shake table testing is typically far more cost-effective. This is due to an overall decrease in necessary costs to achieve this type of certification. With no shipping, physical testing, and use of expensive facilities, seismic certification through analysis and experience data can save clients hundreds of thousands of dollars, while ensuring their equipment is up-to-code.

100% Success Rate

Every project that VIE has worked on through using analysis and experience data has been approved by the appropriate review authorities, be they government agencies, private sector, or anothers.

Seismic Certification By Analysis And Experience Data In The United States

VIE Engineers is one of the few engineering firms in the United States that provides seismic certification via analysis methods rather than shake table testing. VIE has successfully performed seismic certifications for numerous classes of equipment, including electrical equipment, mechanical equipment, and instrumentation and controls.

Our engineers have a 100% success rate in getting seismic certifications approved through the appropriate review authorities, such as from governmental agencies. Through our methods, we have saved our clients hundreds of thousands of dollars, while ensuring that equipment capacities are verified as being greater than the required minimum response spectrum.

To learn more about our seismic certification without shake-table testing or any of the other seismic engineering services that we provide, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

While using resources from other countries can be convenient, it’s important to support local economies and strengthen communities. When engineering firms make the effort to use US-sourced products, use local contractors, and support local infrastructure, they’re improving their community.

Conversely, outsourcing work as much as possible can be a way to cut down on costs, but quality can suffer, the length of time a project can take extends, there isn’t as much job growth, and the local economy suffers.

Here, we will go into further detail about why it is important for engineering firms to support local economies.

The Impact Of Supporting Local Economies

When engineering firms use products manufactured offshore and offshore workers for a project, the local economy suffers. Rather than the money spent staying local and being used to strengthen the local economy, it goes to other countries. By supporting manufacturers and workers within your country, engineering firms are able to help create a stronger community and directly contribute to economic growth.

This economic growth is especially crucial in regards to manufacturing, as it is the main engine of innovation in the United States. Offshoring can result in job displacement and redirection of job growth. When engineering firms support USA-based manufacturing companies and subcontractors in the state they are doing work in, this creates more job opportunities for US residents. Manufacturing jobs spur new jobs in related industries, which helps to build and sustain the economy.

Enhance Environmental Sustainability

Through using locally-sourced resources, the environment benefits through decreased transportation emissions. This reduces the environmental footprint of a project. Less transportation means less pollution, habitat loss, and congestion. Using locally-sourced materials and products produces less waste, eliminates unnecessary transportation, and thus, improves air quality and reduces air pollution.

Ensure Standards Are Met

By using local products and services, engineering firms can reduce project costs and ensure that standards are met, without so much frustration about what you’re looking for. The quality of locally-sourced manufactured products can often be better than outsourced products. Americans are best at engineering and designing products and systems that work for American needs.

Keeping manufacturing in the US prevents offshore manufacturers from having too much leeway in the process, which can result in products not meeting the standards they’re supposed to. Supporting US-based companies not only improves the economy, but helps with quality control.

Save Time

There is a lot of fine-tuning and adjustments involved in engineering, and trying to communicate ideas with people on the other side of the world can be time-consuming. US-based companies understand American regulations and the time-zone differences across the country are less significant, making it significantly more time- and cost-effective to work with US-based companies.

VIE Supports Utah With Our Work

VIE Engineers strives to support US workers in each aspect of what we do when possible. From using US-sourced manufactured bracing products to using local subcontractors when needed, we care about supporting our country and state. All engineering is done locally in Utah by Utah-licensed engineers, who have been incorporated in Utah for 18+ years.

Supporting Local Economies: How Engineering Firms Can Make A Difference

We support the infrastructure in Utah with the government projects we have completed and other projects, as with non-structural seismic bracing design for the Salt Lake City International Airport, the Utah North Capitol Building, the University of Utah, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, and much, much more. We work with Connectors For Construction in order to provide turnkey solutions to your seismic bracing needs.

To learn more about the projects we have completed in Utah or how we support USA workers in our engineering services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.