Specific disaster mitigation strategies that go beyond the requirements of the 2015 International Codes model building codes could save the nation billions of dollars, according to the National Institute of Building Sciences just issued Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report.
Investing in hazard mitigation measures to exceed select code requirements can save the nation $4 for every $1 spent, the report says. The report comes on the heels of the nation’s worst year of natural disasters in terms of cost. There were 16 events in 2017 with losses exceeding $1 billion, with total costs of about $306 billion, surpassing the record losses in 2005 by $100 billion.
Effective strategies to exceed minimum requirements of the 2015 I-Codes include:
– For flood resistance (to address riverine flooding and hurricane surge), building new homes higher than required by the 2015 International Building Code (IBC).
– For resistance to hurricane winds, building new homes to comply with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) FORTIFIED Home Hurricane standards.
– For resistance to earthquakes, building new buildings stronger and stiffer than required by the 2015 IBC.
– For fire resistance in the wildland-urban interface, building new buildings to comply with the 2015 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC).
NIBS notes that while mitigation represents an excellent investment, not everyone is willing or able to bear construction costs for more resilient buildings, even if the long-term benefits exceed the up-front costs. Programs to help finance mitigation projects should align incentives from finance, insurance, government and other stakeholders, NIBS says.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Apr 26, 2022
Investment firm Blackstone makes $13 billion acquisition in student-housing sector
Blackstone Inc., a New York-based investment firm, has agreed to buy student-housing owner American Campus Communities Inc.
Codes and Standards | Apr 25, 2022
Supply chain constraints, shifting consumer demands adding cost pressures to office fit-outs
Cushman & Wakefield’s 2022 Americas Office Fit-Out Cost Guide found supply chain constraints and shifting consumer demands will continue to add pressure to costs, both in materials and labor.
Legislation | Apr 21, 2022
NIMBYism in the Sunbelt stymies new apartment development
Population growth in Sunbelt metro areas is driving demand for new apartment development, but resistance is growing against these projects.
Codes and Standards | Apr 18, 2022
Dept. of Energy has RFI on funding cost-effective updated energy codes implementation
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) has issued a request for information regarding funding cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes.
Legislation | Apr 14, 2022
Defense Dept. building largest 3D-printed structures in Western Hemisphere
The U.S. Department of Defense is constructing three barracks at the Camp Swift Training Center in Bastrop, Texas that will each be the largest 3D-printed structures in the Americas.
Wood | Apr 13, 2022
Mass timber: Multifamily’s next big building system
Mass timber construction experts offer advice on how to use prefabricated wood systems to help you reach for the heights with your next apartment or condominium project.
Codes and Standards | Apr 13, 2022
LEED multifamily properties fetch higher rents and sales premiums
LEED-certified multifamily properties consistently receive higher rents than non-certified rental complexes, according to a Cushman & Wakefield study of two decades of data on Class A multifamily assets with 50 units or more.
Legislation | Apr 11, 2022
Dept. of Energy releases RFI for K-12 schools energy upgrade program
The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) released a Request for Information (RFI) to help decide how best to spend $500 million from the recently passed federal infrastructure law for K-12 public school energy upgrades.
Codes and Standards | Apr 8, 2022
Dept. of Energy boosts energy efficiency standards for federal buildings
The Department of Energy’s recently released new energy efficiency standards for federal buildings.
Codes and Standards | Apr 7, 2022
Uptake of low-carbon materials expected to get a boost from federal building plan
Low-carbon materials will get a sizeable boost via purchases through a federal $3.4 billion building plan to modernize U.S. border crossings.