For the first time in the U.S., national construction standards will address the risk of tsunamis.
The American Society of Civil Engineers has developed a new edition of ASCE 7-16, the first to include a chapter on tsunami hazards, in addition to chapters on seismic, wind, and flood hazards. The tsunami standards are only for steel-reinforced concrete buildings in “inundation zones.” They will not apply to wood-frame structures.
The committee that developed the new standard began work in late 2010, a few months before the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan.
“We weren’t reacting,” according to Dan Cox of Oregon State University, a professor of civil and construction engineering in the OSU College of Engineering, and one of about 20 engineers on the ASCE committee that developed them. “We were trying to do this in advance. After the 2011 event, interest accelerated regarding how to build things safely in a tsunami zone, and it was important that the subcommittee contained people familiar with how codes work and academic researchers who can bring in the latest advances.”
The tsunami standards will have the most impact on engineers designing and building structures less than about five stories in height. Above five stories, even-stronger building codes will take precedence over codes to protect smaller structures from tsunamis. The new standards can also be used on retrofit projects.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Aug 11, 2021
Decentralized approach to codes means emissions reduction responsibility falls on local officials
Efficiency advocates focusing more on local code amendments.
Codes and Standards | Aug 10, 2021
Dept. of Energy issues model energy code determinations for commercial, residential buildings
2021 IECC offers 9.4% site energy savings.
Digital Twin | Aug 9, 2021
Digital Twin Maturity white paper offers guidance on digital twin adoption
Provides lifecycle map and an approach for incorporating digital twins.
Codes and Standards | Aug 5, 2021
Contractors can be liable for building failures many years after project completion
Personal injury suits could be brought decades after substantial completion.
Codes and Standards | Aug 4, 2021
Mass timber is a natural choice for building recycling through deconstruction
Designing wood buildings to optimize recovery of materials for disassembly aids carbon sequestration.
Codes and Standards | Aug 3, 2021
Dept. of Energy releases initial version of the Spawn of EnergyPlus software
Targets new use cases in advanced controls, district systems, and grid integration.
Codes and Standards | Aug 2, 2021
Several U.S. cities among most expensive places to build in the world
San Francisco, New York, and Boston head the domestic list.
Codes and Standards | Jul 28, 2021
American Concrete Institute creates new director of innovative concrete technology post
Aim is to attract emerging technologies for development.
Codes and Standards | Jul 28, 2021
Higher ed faces infrastructure backlog of $112.3 billion
Study recommends integrated strategic planning for best results.
Codes and Standards | Jul 27, 2021
Add a wobbly moon to flooding risk factors
Earth satellite’s orbit variations will lead to sunny-day flooding in the mid-2030s.